


A Different Side of Hogwarts

by notalwaysthevillian



Series: Hogwarts AU [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, HP AU, Prinxiety - Freeform, logicality - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-05-06 22:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 35,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14657100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notalwaysthevillian/pseuds/notalwaysthevillian
Summary: Virgil Night is a pure blood with a family of Slytherins.Patton Foster is a pure blood with a family of mixed houses.Logan Page is a half-blood with a brother in Gryffindor.Roman Castle is a muggleborn with no knowledge of the wizarding world.What awaits them at Hogwarts?(Sanders Sides Hogwarts AU)





	1. Chapter 1

A massive fireball the size of a house flew towards the valiant Prince Roman. He dove out of the way, feeling the heat singe his cape. With a scowl on his face, he ran at the dragon, raising his sword-

“Roman, honey, you have a visitor!”

Roman Castle dropped the two rulers he had taped together, sparing one last glance at the dragon shaped piñata before running inside the apartment.

A man Roman had never seen before was sitting on his family’s couch, drinking tea with his father.

“State your name, villain!” Roman cried, wishing that he had his sword.

“Roman!”

“It’s quite alright, Rose. I’m a stranger in his home, he has every right to ask for my name,” the man said, putting his teacup down. “Hello, Roman. My name is Headmaster Sanders, but you may call me Thomas.”

Roman glanced at his parents before asking, “Why are you here?”

“I’m here, Roman, because you are a very special child. Your imagination is quite impressive, I must say. Making book characters come to life is some advanced magic that even adults struggle with.”

Roman drifted further into the living room. “Magic?”

“Of course! You didn’t think that just any child could create characters like that, did you? You’re special and my school teaches special kids like you.” Thomas said, pulling a wand out of his boot. “Would you believe me if I showed you?”

Eyes widening, Roman clambered onto the couch, his gaze locked on Thomas.

Clearing his throat, the wizard pointed his wand to his head. “ _Colovaria_.”

At once, his brown hair began to change into a deep purple, reminding Roman of the grapes he’d had for a snack just that morning.

The boy gaped at Thomas, unsure if what he’d seen was real.

“Go ahead, you can feel it.”

Shooting up from his seat, Roman rubbed a strand of hair between his fingers. It was real. It had actually changed color with one word from the wizard kneeling in front of him.

“Can I come to your school?”

Thomas laughed, before gesturing to his parents. “That’s all up to them. I would love to have you, but your parents are the ones who get to make the final decision.”

“Will he learn to control his…incidents at the school?” Roman’s father asked, his own eyes still on Thomas’s hair.

“Of course, Henry! With most young witches and wizards, their magic builds up inside of them and has nowhere to go but out. That’s why they cause the occasional incident,” Thomas explained as Roman continued to examine his head. “At Hogwarts, they’ll be using magic every day. Their magic won’t build up so much, and they’ll learn to control it.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Rose said, smiling fondly at her son. “What are we to tell the neighbors?”

“You can tell them that he’s going to private school. That’s practically what Hogwarts is.”

Rose’s face fell and she shuffled her feet. “We certainly don’t have enough money to send Roman to private school.”

“There’s no need to worry about the money,” Thomas said, pulling a sack out of his robes. “This is what you should need for Roman’s supplies.”

“Oh, that’s very generous of you, but we can’t-”

“Supplies?”

“Ah, yes. I knew I was forgetting something,” Thomas said, before whistling loudly.

A barn owl flew through the open window, startling Henry. He dumped his tea all over his lap.

“I’m glad this is cold,” he said with a laugh, reaching for a napkin.

“My apologies, Henry.” Thomas lifted his wand once more, pointing it at Henry. “ _Scourgify_.”

The owl, seeing that Henry’s lap was now free, dropped the letter it was holding before landing on Thomas’s shoulder.

“Ah, yes, thank you J.D. Here’s a treat.”

The owl hooted happily before flying back out of the window, soaring into the sky.

“This is…an extensive list,” Henry said, eyes flicking back and forth as he read over the letter. “Where are we going to find gloves made of dragon hide?”

“Diagon Alley, of course. I’m here to take you there and aid your shopping so that you don’t have to fret all summer about getting Roman’s supplies.”

“Oh, Mr. Sanders-”

“Please, call me Thomas.”

“Thomas, we simply can’t accept all the help you’re giving us. It’s too much,” Rose said, worry written all over her face. “We won’t be able to pay you back anytime soon.”

“Consider it a gift,” Thomas said, standing up. “Every child deserves the right to learn. Besides, I don’t have any children myself. Any child I aid becomes one of my own in my mind.”

“When are we leaving?” Roman asked, looking up at Thomas, picturing him as a brave knight.

“We could leave right now if you’d like, but that’s up to your parents.”

Henry and Rose were met with puppy dog eyes from their son. “Please?”

“Alright.”

“Brilliant! Everyone grab hold, and take a deep breath,” Thomas said, waving the family around.

Roman did as he was told, hearing a loud crack before the hustle and bustle of a busy street.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Brief death mention, sibling teasing

****Engrossed in his book, Logan Page didn’t hear his mother call him the first time. Or his father the second time. Or his brother the third time.

It was only when a hand slammed his book down onto his desk that he was startled back into reality.

“Remy, you’re going to break the spine,” he said, moving his brother’s hand off of the book and getting up to put it away.

Remy shrugged. “You didn’t hear mom, dad, or me. I had to bring you back down to Earth somehow.”

“At least I don’t waste my days away sleeping,” Logan said, before turning around. “What am I needed for?”

“We’re leaving for Diagon Alley.”

“Is it already the end of July?”

“Affirmative, little brother,” Remy said, ruffling his hair. “Let’s go.”

Logan scowled at Remy, fixing his hair as the two descended the staircase. Their parents stood in the living room, his father’s hand in a bowl.

“Have a good day with your father boys. And be sure to get everything on the list this time, Josh. I don’t need a repeat of last year.”

“Relax, Mom, I was only missing one book,” Remy said, grabbing a fistful of powder and stepping into the fireplace. “Diagon Alley!”

There was a woosh of green flames and Remy disappeared. Josh nodded to Logan, who repeated his brother’s motions.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t let them forget,” he said, before adjusting his glasses. “Diagon Alley!”

Logan felt a freeing sensation as he was transported to his destination. He loved using the Floo Powder, much more than Side-Along Apparition. That left him nauseous for the rest of the day.

“Logan, move,” Remy said, yanking him out of the fireplace just moments before their father appeared.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Logan turned to his father. “Do we need to stop at Gringotts?”

“No, I had some business up here last week. I’ve got enough for the both of you.” He pulled two lists out of his pocket, before handing them to Logan. “These are better off with you.”

“Yes, they are,” Logan agreed, looking over them and then down the street. “I propose we work our way up the right side of the street and down the left. It shouldn’t take much longer than two hours, depending on the foot traffic.”

“Sounds good, son. Lead the way.”

By the time the three had gotten to Ollivander’s, Remy was yawning.

“How are we not done yet?”

“Maybe if you weren’t up all night you wouldn’t be so tired,” Logan said, earning a light punch to the shoulder. “We don’t have much more to get. I have to get my wand, my owl, and my cauldron. After that we can head home.”

“Oh, we aren’t going home until we get some of Fortescue’s ice cream. The recipe hasn’t changed since they opened, even though Florian has passed on,” Mr. Page said, looking fondly down the street. “I’ll miss you, old man.”

“Because he gave you free ice cream?” Logan questioned.

“Because he gave me free ice cream,” he said, winking.

Logan smiled, before looking up at the sign for Ollivander’s.

“You head in there and get your wand,” Mr. Page said, clapping his hand on Logan’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of your cauldron, and Remy can get your owl.”

Remy looked up at his name. “How about Remy waits at the ice cream parlor?”

“Remy-”

“Fine, I’ll get his toad.”

“ _Owl_.”

“I’ll get his owl.”

Mr. Page took the supply list Logan gave him and headed off down the road. “Meet us at Fortescue’s when you’re finished!”

Nodding, Logan headed into the wand shop. When he didn’t see anyone at the counter, he rang the bell.

A girl popped her head out of the back, a smile gracing her face. “Hello! My name is Valerie. You’re heading to Hogwarts this year?”

“Yes, and I need a wand.”

“No worries, we have all kinds of wands here,” she said, before peering at him. “I think I’ve got just the one for you.”

She hurried to the back. Logan stood behind the counter, rocking on his heels. He hadn’t expected so much social interaction. Remy always teased him and told him that he needed to loosen up when he talked to people.

“Have you gotten many wizards who need wands today?” He asked.

Valerie popped out of the back with a box in her hands. “Not too many today, no. A lot of the kids came in earlier this summer. They couldn’t wait to get their very own wand. You’re one of the late ones.”

“I had to wait for my father to have a day off work,” he explained. “I would have loved to have gotten my wand sooner.”

She smiled, lifting the lid off of the box. “Let’s see if we can get you that wand, then. Try it.”

Logan lifted the wand and felt a sense of calm and familiarity. The tip of the wand flickered and the smell of books filled the room.

“Wow, I got it on the first try,” Valerie said, smiling. “That wand is made of ebony, with a dragon heartstring core. It’s ten inches and it’s supple.”

“It’s perfect,” Logan said, smiling at the young woman.

He paid for his wand and headed to Fortescue’s, praying that his father had gotten the right sized cauldron.

When he reached the ice cream shop, he was surprised to see that both Remy and his father were sitting at a table. There was an untouched sundae in an empty seat.

“What flavor is this?” Logan asked, tucking his wand into his sleeve.

“Crofter’s Jam.”

Logan’s eyes snapped to his brother. “Impossible.”

“Taste it little brother.”

Putting a spoonful into his mouth, Logan’s eyes widened. He started shoveling the ice cream into his mouth. “It is Crofter’s. But how-”

His words were cut off by a soft meowing as a white kitten jumped onto the table.

“I requested an owl.”

“I know you did, but you’ll like her better,” Remy said, finishing his cone. “Trust me.”

Logan thought for a moment. “Cats are ideal for curling up with a book.”

“What are you going to name her?” Mr. Page asked, packing up the boys supplies in a backpack.

“Agatha.”

The cat meowed happily before staring at Logan’s empty dish. Logan pushed it towards her and she started licking the melted ice cream out of the bottom of the dish.

“Look at that, she likes Crofter’s just as much as you.”

Logan smiled, stroking the small kitten. She purred under his touch, batting against his hand.

“I can’t wait to take you to Hogwarts, Agatha.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Deceit, sibling pranks, sibling teasing, slight signs of anxiety

Virgil scrambled down the stairs, his normally dark hair whitened with wet flour. His brothers followed behind him, cackling at his dilemma.

“Boys, what happened here?” His mother snapped, her face turned down to them.

Preston hid his laughter expertly, as he had done so many times before. “I was doing an experiment and Virgil got caught in the aftermath. I apologized to him, but he insisted on telling you.”

“Virgil?”

Sighing, the youngest of the Night boys nodded. It didn’t matter if he protested or not. Devin would find a way to twist his words against him, just like he always did.

His mother pinched her nose, before simply waving a hand, excusing the boys. Devin flashed him a smirk, his eyes glinting. A hand fell atop Virgil’s head, rubbing the flour paste even deeper into his hair. Virgil batted off his eldest brother’s hand, before heading upstairs to clean out the paste.

“Where do you think you’re going?” His father stood in the doorway, levitating Devin and Preston’s trunks. “We need to leave for the platform in five minutes.”

“But I-”

“Where’s your trunk, Virgil?” Preston asked, a grin on his face.

Virgil’s eyes widened as he sprinted to his room. Preston wouldn’t dare hide his trunk the day they left for Hogwarts. He wouldn’t.

He hadn’t.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Virgil grabbed a comb and brushed out as much of the paste as he could while he dragged his trunk into the foyer.

His father flicked his wand, mumbling the levitation spell. Virgil’s trunk joined his brothers’ in the air. With another flick of his wand, and a spell that Virgil didn’t recognize, his father and the trunks vanished with a loud crack.

“Grab onto me boys,” his mother said. “And we’re not going to push each other this time. Virgil doesn’t need to get splinched on his first day.”

Preston and Devin shared a glance with each other, making Virgil nervous, but they nodded.

Virgil grabbed his mother’s hand and held tight, terrified that he would still get splinched.

When the crack had finished echoing through his ears, Virgil opened his eyes to find himself in an empty alleyway. His mother pulled her hand from his as she headed toward the street, not glancing back to make sure her sons were following.

Virgil was used to this, and fell into step behind her, pulling the sleeves of his black hoodie over his hands. He could hear his brothers laughing behind him, and quickened his pace to match his mother’s.

They walked into the busy train station, seeing their father with a trolley. Each of their trunks was meticulously placed, as were their animals. Virgil poked a finger through his cat’s cage, stroking the soft fur.

“I’ll let you out soon, Skellington.”

Pain exploded through his finger as the trolley was shoved forward. He yanked his finger from the cage, glaring at Devin.

“Sorry, I didn’t know your finger was in there,” he lied, the smirk returning.

Virgil didn’t say a word, opting to follow his mother once more. She didn’t hesitate as she walked through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ and neither did Virgil. He’d been following her through ever since Preston had started at Hogwarts two years ago.

“I’ll get you set up in a compartment,” Preston whispered to Virgil as he grabbed his trunk. “I know you want to sit by yourself.”

Virgil nodded to his brother, before turning to his mother. “I’ll be sure to write as soon as possible.”

“I expect nothing less,” she said, kissing the top of his head. “As soon as you get to the Slytherin common room. There should be plenty of time before you head off to bed.”

“Yes, mother. Goodbye, father.”

“Goodbye boys!”

His parents headed back through the wall. Virgil followed Preston onto the train, seeing Devin run straight for a group of Slytherins toward the front.

“I really didn’t mean to get so much flour in your hair,” his brother said, pulling out his wand. “Do you want me to clean it up for you?”

“Can I do it?”

Preston let out a small laugh through his nose. “There’s that Slytherin ambition. The spell is scourgify, and the wand movement is like this.” He drew an S in the air.

Copying his brothers motions, Virgil repeated the spell. He instantly felt the goop clear from his hair and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“As much as I love to prank you, I would never want to embarass you in front of the entire school,” Preston said as they walked through the train. He was levitating their trunks ahead of them, peering into the mostly full compartments. “Just our family. And maybe a few friends.”

“Gee, thanks,” Vigil said sarcastically, earning an elbow nudge from his brother.

After another minute of walking, Preston stopped outside of the final compartment. One boy sat alone inside, reading Magical Theory: Third Edition.

“I didn’t see any empty ones, but I don’t think this kid will bother you.”

Virgil grabbed his trunk out of the air and nodded to his brother. “See you after I’m sorted.”

“Later, V.”

Rolling his eyes at the nickname, Virgil slid the compartment door open. The boy inside looked up, his gray eyes trained on Virgil.

“I, um, can I-”

“You are allowed to sit down. I don’t own this compartment,” the boy said, standing up and sticking his hand out. “My name is Logan Page.”

“Virgil. Or Virge,” he said, shaking Logan’s hand.

“Do you not have a last name?” Logan asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. His smirk was warmer than Devin’s. There wasn’t an ounce of malice behind it.

Virgil rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, I’d rather not say.”

“If you feel as though I would judge you by your name, you are strongly mistaken. Unless you were Lord Voldemort himself. Although, I would wonder how you could be him, since he was killed 20 years ago. Unless, of course, he-”

Virgil snorted, cutting off Logan’s rambling. “No, I’m not him. Night. Virgil Night.”

“Ah, I see,” Logan said, opening the overhead compartment. “You believe that I should feel spite towards you because of your family.”

“Everyone does,” Virgil mumbled, putting his trunk away. He sat down across from Logan and placed Skellington’s cage on the seat next to him. “Do you mind if I let him out?”

“Not at all. In fact, I think I’ll let mine out as well.”

The boys opened the cages and fell into a comfortable silence as the two cats stretched out on their laps.


	4. Chapter 4

Patton Foster slid his compartment door open, having just changed into his robes. He didn’t have a cool tie like his sisters did, but he would soon!

“Are you excited Pat?” Imogene asked, grinning at her younger brother.

“I’ve been excited since I was five!” he said, bouncing on his toes.

Missy smiled at his energy, fussing with her tie. “It was pretty funny to walk in and see your stuffed animals enlarged.”

Patton laughed, remembering that day vividly. “They were so fluffy!”

The train began to slow down. Imogene tugged him down onto the seat. He was practically vibrating with excitement, his eyes flicking from the window to the aisle.

“First years head across in the boats, so you’ll have to go alone. Are you going to be okay?” Missy asked.

Nodding, Patton slid the door open once more. All of the compartment doors began to open and students were filling up the aisle. Patton managed to squeeze through and get to a door rather quickly, stumbling as the train came to a full stop.

The doors opened and Patton bolted outside, being careful to make sure he didn’t knock anyone over.

Unfortunately, he was the one who ended up getting knocked down.

“Woah, didn’t see you there,” the boy said, pulling Patton to his feet. “Are you another first year?”

“Yep! I’m Patton!” He said, sticking his hand out. His family had taught him to always be kind to others, and to try to make friends whenever possible.

The boy gave him a firm handshake. “My name is Roman.”

“First years, this way!”

The boys looked up to see a friendly man waving his wand in the air. It was shooting yellow sparks into the air, attracting the attention of most of the first years. His brown eyes twinkled as he looked directly at Patton.

“Come on now, we wouldn’t want to miss the Sorting Ceremony,” he teased, beckoning them forward.

Patton grabbed Roman’s hand and pulled him to the front of the pack of first years. When he reached the man, he stopped.

“Hello!”

“Hello there,” he said as he bent down, a smile slightly hidden beneath his beard. “My name is Kenny, and I’m the groundskeeper at Hogwarts.”

“I’m Patton!”

“And I am Roman.”

“Patton, Roman, it’s nice to meet you,” he said, before standing back up to address all the new students. “First years, gather round. I have a few rules for the boats, and then we’ll head out. The first one is that there can only be four of you to a boat. And the second is to not rock the boat. If you follow these rules, you won’t fall in the lake.”

“What’s in the lake?” A voice asked from somewhere to Patton’s right. The poor kid sounded nervous, but when Patton turned, he couldn’t find where the kid was.

“The Giant Squid, but he won’t hurt ya. In fact, when I was a first year, I fell out into the lake and he scooped me up and put me back in the boat. It scared some of my classmates, but I thought it was great!” Kenny said, before waving his wand. The boats began to file in on the shore. “Everyone in a boat!”

“Can we ride with you?” Patton asked.

“Of course. We’re taking this one right here,” Kenny said, before glancing around at the first years. “Any single riders?”

A young girl shuffled over, biting her nails. “I am.”

“Hop on in.”

The kids got into the boat, the girl hanging back so that Patton and Roman could sit together.

“What’s your name?” Kenny asked quietly, looking around to make sure that everyone was in a boat.

“Celeste.”

Kenny waved his wand in the air and the boats started to move. A few students screamed, but that wasn’t unusual.

“I hope you like it here, Celeste. Most students do.”

She nodded, falling silent and staring out at the water.

“What house do you think you’ll be in, Roman?” Patton asked his new friend, picking up on Celeste’s mood.

“I don’t know much about the houses. My parents aren’t magical,” Roman admitted, a faint blush forming on his cheeks.

“Oh, so you’re a muggleborn!” Patton said, noticing how Celeste shifted uncomfortably. “There’s four houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.”

“Hufflepuff’s value hard work, dedication, loyalty, patience, and fair play,” Kenny said, gesturing to himself. “That was my house.”

“My sister, Missy, is in Ravenclaw. They value intelligence, knowledge, and wit. My other sister, Imogene, is in Gryffindor. They value bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry,” Patton said, before turning to Kenny. “I don’t have a family member in Slytherin, so I don’t know their values.”

“Ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness,” Celeste mumbled, not taking her eyes off the water.

Roman thought for a moment. “I think I’d like to be in Gryffindor. What about you Pat?”

“My sisters both say I’m a true blue Hufflepuff, and I think so too.”

“You do remind me a lot of myself, when I was your age,” Kenny said, before looking up and smiling. “Turn around.”

The boys turned and their jaws dropped as they saw the castle for the first time. Many, if not all, of the windows had a golden glow, as if there were dozens of candles resting on the sills. The towers reached up into the sky, their flags flowing in the gentle breeze.

“It’s magnificent,” Roman breathed, his eyes locked on the castle. “It’s everything I ever dreamed of.”

Patton squealed, rocking the boat slightly. “I can’t believe we’re actually here.”

Kenny turned to Celeste, seeing her gaze trained on one of the towers.

“That’s Ravenclaw tower,” he whispered, the boys not hearing him over their excitement. “Is that the house you hope to be in?”

A tiny nod came from her small frame, before she dipped a finger into the lake, swirling the water around. “I’ve loved learning new things my whole life, but my family…they don’t appreciate it. They want me to be like them.”

“You don’t have to be anyone you don’t want to be.”

“Yes,” she whispered, so quietly that no one could hear her. “I do.”

The boats swiftly made it to the shore, and Patton squealed with excitement. “I can’t believe we’re finally here!”

Kenny had the students get out of the boat first, before climbing out himself. He headed towards the towering castle, waving a hand.

“Follow me, everyone!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Anxiety

Virgil climbed out of his boat, gathering around with the other first years. Logan stood by his side, fingers twitching. It seemed like he always had a book in his hand, and was uncomfortable without one. Virgil completely understood. Everyone had their own coping mechanisms. He felt lucky that he could still wear his hoodie under his robes. Wearing it to class wasn’t allowed, but at the moment, he felt safe. Well, as safe as he could around a group of people he didn’t know.

The groundskeeper, Kenny if Virgil remembered correctly, led them inside the front doors of the castle.

Looking up, Virgil saw the staircases shifting up, seeming infinite and always changing. The paintings left their own frames to gather closer to the first years, smiling at them, though at the moment, the smiles seemed twisted and cruel. Suits of armor lined the walls, as if they were about to jump into battle, their sharp weapons gleaming in the candlelight.

All of it made Virgil uneasy. It would be too easy to get lost in this dangerous castle.

“Breath, Virge,” Logan mumbled, gently bumping into him. “The prefects take you to your classes for the first week. By then we’ll have learned the castle.”

Taking a deep breath, he nodded at his new acquaintance, letting Logan know he was okay.

“Yes, it’s all very beautiful, isn’t it,” Kenny said, his ever present smile turned toward them. “In just a moment, Deputy Headmaster Joan will be coming out to collect you for the sorting. All you have to do is follow them inside. They’ll call your names out alphabetically, and you just have to put on the Sorting Hat when your name is called. Any questions?”

No one raised a hand, but they all began to whisper to one another.

“Alrighty then, it seems like you guys are ready.”

As if on cue, the doors to the Great Hall opened, revealing Joan. They nodded to the first years, a tiny smile on their face. “Thanks, Kenny. I can take it from here.”

Giving a tiny salute, Kenny headed back outside, leaving the new students in Joan’s care.

“Kenny gave you the briefing, I presume?”

A chorus of yeses came from the students.

“Follow me.”

Virgil followed the crowd of first years into the Great Hall, glancing around as he did so. There were candles levitating in the air above the tables, giving off a welcoming glow. The ceiling above glittered with stars.

“It’s enchanted to reflect the night sky,” Logan told him, “And the candles burn brighter the darker it gets outside.”

Virgil nodded slightly, glancing toward the Slytherin table. Devin was down at one end, watching him intensely, while Preston was toward the middle, giving him a thumbs up as he sprinkled salt into the goblet of the student next to him.

“Do you have siblings here?” Logan’s voice pulled his attention away from his brothers.

Before Virgil could answer, a clap sounded through the room, effectively silencing everyone. Virgil jumped like a startled cat. A few kids behind him giggled quietly, making his face burn with embarrassment. Logan turned to him, giving him a concerned look.

“I’m so pleased to welcome all of you back for another year, and to greet our first years,” the man said, his purple hair falling into his eyes. He pushed it back with a huff before continuing. “Just a few ground rules and then we can get everything rolling. The Forbidden Forest is still off limits to everyone, just like the name suggests. And we’re reintroducing Muggle Studies this year, so if anyone third year or above didn’t know this and would like to transfer, talk to your Head of House. That’s all I have, so let’s start the Sorting. Joan?”

Joan grabbed the Sorting Hat by the top and looked at the list in their hands. “Abner, Charles.”

The first boy went into Slytherin. Virgil stopped listening to the hat, only focusing for his name to be called. His hands started sweating and his breath began coming in short pants. The voice started to distort, sounding foreign and far away.

“Virgil, try to match my breathing,” Logan whispered, trying not to alert any of the other first years.

When Logan noticed that Virgil didn’t react, he grabbed the other boy’s hand and started tapping his fingers in a rhythm. Four taps, a pause, seven taps, a pause, and then eight taps. After a few moments, he saw Virgil’s chest began to move in the same rhythm.

As he began calming down, Virgil started to hear the names called once more.

“Castle, Roman.”

The hat touched the boy’s head for only a moment.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Cheers were heard to Virgil’s right as the student headed over to his new house.

Virgil heard a few more names, such as Erickson, Jonah and Foster, Patton. The former headed for Ravenclaw and the latter to Hufflepuff.

Joan seemed to blaze through the names before he called out, “Night, Virgil.”

A murmur went through the students, who all turned to stare at him. He knew his family’s legacy, and he wasn’t proud of it. With shaking legs, he made it to the stool and sat down. The hat dropped down, blocking his vision.

**Another Night boy, I see.**

_Yes. Go ahead and put me in Slytherin._

**Do you think you belong in Slytherin?**

_The rest of my family is there. I might as well be._

**I don’t see a cunning mastermind. I see a hardworking, dedicated child, no matter what the cause. Though hardworking can easily be classified as ambition. What do you think you are?**

_Hardworking._

**Very well then.**

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

For a moment, there was only silence. Virgil’s blood turned to ice as he turned to his brothers, not even hearing the cheers from the Hufflepuff table.

Preston looked slightly scared for him, but also proud.

Devin on the other hand…

“That way, Virgil,” Joan said, waving a hand toward the Hufflepuff table.

Trembling, Virgil gave a nod to the teacher and headed to his house. He sat down next to a boy with a beaming smile.

“Hi, I’m-” the boy stopped, peering at him. His voice dropped low. “Are you alright?”

Virgil shook his head, trying to stop the tears from coming. He hunched over slightly, trying to hide his face from the boy. The fabric of his robe bunched as he gripped his knees. He was supposed to be in Slytherin. The hat had said that hardworking could be ambition. So why wasn’t he sitting next to Preston right now?

“Here.”

The boy passed him a napkin. Virgil took it, before crossing his arms and putting his head down. He just managed to hear Logan be sorted into Ravenclaw before the tears began to fall.

“Virgil, right?” A voice said from his right. “You don’t have to look at me, just nod.”

He did as he was told.

“My name is Derek Anderson. I’m Hufflepuff Prefect,” he said, keeping his voice soft. “Do you need to get out of here? I can take you to the common room early if you’d like.”

“No,” Virgil said, his voice sounding raw. He cleared his throat. “I’ll be okay.”

“Let me know if you change your mind.”

The boy next to him slid closer and bumped his shoulder. “If you’re sad that you don’t know anybody, I’m a good friend.”

“I’m not,” Virgil mumbled into his arms.

There was a moment of silence, before the boy piped up with a dad joke.

“Hi Not, I’m Patton!”

A snort came out of Virgil’s nose. He lifted his head, really looking at this boy who seemed determined to be his friend. His warm, brown eyes seemed inviting, much better than the cold brown and yellow eyes of his brother.

Flicking his bangs out of his face, he gave Patton a genuine smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Food mention

After the last first year had been sorted, and they had made their way to the Ravenclaw table, Headmaster Thomas stood once more. His purple hair shone in the candlelight as he smiled at the crowd of students.

“A quick message for all of the first years. I hope you all feel at home in your new houses. They will be your family throughout your years at Hogwarts, even though you may make other friends along the way. Now, let’s eat!”

He clapped his hands together and Roman’s eyes grew wide as all sorts of different foods appeared on the table. There was turkey, mashed potatoes, and he even spied some steamed carrots. Even when his entire family got together for his Grandmother’s birthday, there was never this much food. He didn’t know where to start.

The student across from him laughed, catching his attention.

“You must be a muggleborn, huh?”

“Is that a bad thing?” Roman asked, feeling insecure. Though sweet Patton had used the term, he had no way of knowing if it was meant to be derogatory.

The student shook his head, a lazy smile on his face. “No, it just means that your parents aren’t magical. There’s a worse term for kids in your situation, but I’m not teaching you that one.”

Roman gave him his best pleading puppy dog eyes, but the older student didn’t budge. Making a mental note to ask Patton later, he reached for the mashed potatoes and began piling them on his plate. “My name is Roman.”

“Remy.”

“Do you come from a family of wizards?” Roman asked, holding out the potatoes.

“I’m a half-blood. My dad’s the wizard, my mom is a muggle,” Remy explained, taking the bowl from Roman. “And my little brother. He’s a first year too, but he’s over at the Ravenclaw table. Not a surprise, really.”

“What is his name? Perhaps I’ll have classes with him.” Roman carved a piece of turkey half the size of his plate, before smothering it in gravy.

“His name’s Logan. Logan Page. You’ll definitely have classes with him,” Remy said. Then he nodded somewhere to Roman’s right. “Here comes your schedule now.”

One of the teachers was making her way down the Gryffindor table, passing schedules out to the first years. Her dark hair was pulled up into a bun, and the few strands that fell out drew Roman’s eyes to the smattering of freckles that covered her cheeks.

“Hey, BK! You look nice today!” Remy crossed his arms behind his head and winked.

The teacher raised an eyebrow at him, her brown eyes twinkling. There was a hint of a smile on her face. “Hello, Remy. I don’t suppose you’ll actually do your work  _on time_ this year.”

“We’ll see, teach.”

With a shake of her head, she turned to Roman. “Here’s your schedule. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask anyone. Even Remy.”

“Hey!”

Roman looked over his schedule, shovelling food into his mouth. It didn’t seem too complicated.

As he was finishing his second plate, Remy plopped down on the bench to his right, peering over his shoulder. “You’ve got Charms and Transfiguration with my brother on Monday. Ooh, double Potions with the Slytherins right off the bat. At least Professor Dahlia is pretty chill.”

“With a name like Dahlia, shouldn’t she be teaching Herbology?”

Remy laughed. “You’d think. Her skills lie in the potion making department. She’s a half-blood too, so she learned how to bake with her dad and make potions with her mom. Combine the two together and you get an expert potion maker. She says that Potions was her favorite class when she was a student.”

“What’s your favorite class?” Roman asked as the food disappeared off the table, replaced with desserts. He eagerly scooped some ice cream into a bowl and drizzled chocolate sauce on top. His eyes scoured the table for sprinkles.

“Hmm.” Remy grabbed an eclair. “Probably Herbology. There isn’t too much homework in that class, and Professor Jamahl is the most relaxed person I know. Sometimes he brings his guitar out and sings for the plants. He says it makes them grow faster.”

Roman snagged a cupcake, placing it next to his sundae. “Herbology…oh, we have that with the Hufflepuffs. My friend Patton was sorted there.”

“You’ll see him sooner than that,” Remy told him. “It’s Friday. You have all weekend to explore the castle and figure out where the classrooms are.”

“What if I can’t?”

“Then you’re late to class. For the first few weeks, it’s not a big deal. The professors get it.”

Roman shifted in his seat nervously. He wanted to make a good first impression for all the teachers, and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he was late to class for the first few weeks.

“Dude, I’m kidding. The prefects take you to your classes for the first week.”

Roman let out a sigh of relief.

Remy glanced over Roman’s head, nodding at someone. “I’ll see you around, Roman.”

Grabbing his plate, the older student moved further down the table.

“First years, we’re heading to the common room.” A voice called out. “Follow me.”

Roman couldn’t see who he was supposed to follow, but he joined the crowd of first years leaving the table. They headed out of the cafeteria and up a staircase.

“Hey, do you know your room situation?” A redhead asked as he tapped Roman on the shoulder.

“No, but I’m sure they’ll tell us.”

The boy laughed. “No, I was asking-nevermind. Did you want to room with us?”

“Who’s us?”

“Right. I’m Eric, and that’s Wendell, James, Bobby, and T.”

“T?”

“It’s short for Trevor,” T said, stretching. His back cracked in a few places. “No one calls me that.”

“Yeah, sure. I’d love to room with you guys.”

“Sweet,” Eric said. “I take it you’re a muggleborn then?”

“Yeah.”

“When did your parents find out you had magic?”

“When I was four, I was learning how to read. My mom pulled out a book she loved as a child. It’s called  _Rainbow Fish_.”

“I love  _Rainbow Fish_ ,” James said, popping up on Roman’s left.

Eric shushed him. “Go on.”

“While I was reading it, I was thinking of how much I’d like to have my own rainbow fish. The fish just peeled itself out of the book and began swimming around my room.”

“That’s so cool!”

“After that, I started reading more and more. My mom had to tell the teachers that I wasn’t allowed to read at school. I think she blamed it on some sort of disorder. She didn’t want the teachers finding out because she was scared they’d take me away,” he explained. “I started writing stories when I learned how to write. The characters would appear and act out what I’d written. I was banned from writing any stories at school after that.”

“Wow,” Bobby said from somewhere behind Roman. “That’s supposed to be some hard magic.”

“Boys, can you hear me?”

Roman looked up to find a girl staring at them, her hands on her hips. A few more first years turned to look back at them. He nodded, along with his new friends.

“Okay. The password, at the moment, is simply Fizzing Wizzbee. When it changes, someone will let you know.”

Before Roman could ask what she meant by password, the portrait behind her on the wall swung open to reveal the Gryffindor common room. He gasped, realizing that this castle had so much more to offer than he’d first thought. He would have to thoroughly explore this place in the morning.

“Are you going to stand out here all night?” Eric asked, poking Roman in the back.

He shook his head, grinning, before leading his roommates inside.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slight anxiety

“In this room, we have Jonah Erickson, Logan Page, Aiden Taylor, and Noah Williams.”

The prefect swung the door open to the room and the boys headed inside.

“If you want to change beds, feel free to do so. The nightstand next to your bed has a built in bookshelf. It listens and it’ll give you the book it thinks you need,” he explained. “Any questions?”

A jumble of voices filled the room as the other boys began talking at once. Logan, who preferred to figure things out himself, simply sat down on his bed and began examining the shelf. He figured that it was some sort of conjuring spell, but he wasn’t sure how they were able to personalize it to each student. Maybe the bookshelf was alive?

“Lights out at 10,” the prefect said, having satisfied Logan’s roommates with answers. “Until that time, you are all are free to do whatever you choose.”

“Where is the Hufflepuff common room?” Logan asked, looking to his prefect.

He smiled. “I was heading down to the kitchens, so I can lead you there.”

Logan left his roommates squabbling over the remaining beds. He’d been lucky enough to get one assigned nearest the window.

“Why do you want to know where their common room is?” His prefect, Xander, asked.

Logan followed him out into the hallway. “I made a friend on the train here. He was sorted into Hufflepuff and looked upset. I was hoping I could visit him and see what was making him feel that way, although I have my suspicions that it may be family related.”

“Are you talking about the Night kid?”

“Yes.”

Xander sighed. “Look, I know that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but he seems a little too like his brother.”

“Which brother?”

“Devin. That kid is a grade A Slytherin.”

Logan looked up at his prefect. “Slytherin, just like any other house, is not defined by the type of people they put out. They value cunning and ambition. Compared to the other houses, I dare say that they are most like Ravenclaws. The other houses act impulsively. The two of us weigh out our options.”

“Spoken like a true Ravenclaw,” Xander said with a laugh, putting his arm out to stop Logan. “Careful, there’s a trick step here. See how it’s not quite as solid as the others?”

Bending down, Logan examined the step. His glasses slid down his nose, before falling off completely and through the step.

“ _Accio_ , glasses!” Xander said, flicking his wrist.

“Thank you,” he said, putting them back on his face. “It’s hard to see, but the step is slightly translucent.”

“There’s a few here and there, but they’re actually one of the few constants in the castle.”

The two continued on in a comfortable silence, before reaching a picture of fruit. Xander reached out and tickled the pear, which giggled before swinging open.

Logan saw the kitchen to his left, but Xander headed into the corner on their right. He tapped on the barrel two from the bottom, in the middle of the second row in a steady rhythm. The barrels rolled to the side, revealing a hole in the wall.

“Here we are. Hufflepuff common room.”

“Xander, what are you doing here?” Another boy asked, as he walked down the passage.

“Just dropping someone off. I’m headed to get snacks, but he said he has a friend here. One of the Night kids?”

“Oh, yeah, I just got him settled in his room,” the boy said, smiling at Logan. “I can take him from here.”

Xander nodded. “Goodbye.”

Following the boy, Logan was lead down a passage that sloped upwards. It reminded him of a hobbit hole, from the muggle movies he’d watched with his mother as a child. The passage then opened up into a large room.

The room was shaped like a circle, with a staircase along the wall that lead to the different levels. The walls emitted a golden glow, making the place feel homey. A large fireplace was burning brightly, though it didn’t heat up the area.

The center of the room had a sunken area with couches and floor pillows, colored yellow and black. Students milled around, eating out of bowls of miscellaneous snacks. Logan watched curiously as one of the bowls refilled itself.

“It’s nice in here,” the prefect said, gesturing around. “Hardly anyone comes to visit though, so it’s nice that you’re here for Virgil.”

“I wanted to make sure he was alright. He seemed upset when he was sorted.”

“Not a lot of people want to be sorted into Hufflepuff, but once they get here they love it,” he said, heading to the staircase. “My name is Derek by the way. Derek Anderson.”

“Logan Page.”

“Any relation to Remy Page?”

Logan groaned. “Yes. I am nothing like my brother.”

“Don’t worry, I was just making the connection,” Derek said with a smile. “Trust me, I know all about how different siblings can be. Even if they’re in the same house.”

“Do you also have siblings at Hogwarts?”

“No, but I do have cousins.”

“Which houses are they in?”

“Two are in Gryffindor and one’s in Slytherin. My older cousin was in Hufflepuff last year, but he was a seventh year. He’s working at the Zoo of Mythical Creatures now.”

Logan nodded as he kept pace with Derek. “My family visited this summer. My mother was fascinated by the erumpets. She’s a muggle, and they were having a special family day.”

“Even wizards can be fascinated by magical species. Care of Magical Creatures is my favorite class for just that reason,” Derek said, stopping outside a door. “Here we are. I’m heading back to my room now, but let me know if you need anything. And make sure you get back to your own common room by 9.”

Logan nodded, before knocking on the door. “Virgil?”

The door swung open, revealing Virgil. “Logan? What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said, looking at his friend. “You seemed upset with your sorting.”

“Virge, who’s this?”

A boy popped up behind Virgil. Logan noticed that he was around three inches shorter than Virgil, who stood at Logan’s own height. His brown eyes were flecked with gold, and he had a huge smile on his face.

“Uh, Pat, this is Logan,” Virgil said, introducing the two. “We sat together on the train. He’s in Ravenclaw.”

“Oooh, so you’re smart?” Patton asked, bouncing on his toes.

“I think so,” Logan said. “I’ve skimmed through most of our assigned books, and the coursework seems easy.”

Patton nodded, before pulling Virgil away from the door. “Come on in! Our other roommates are in the common area.”

Logan walked in, noticing five beds. “I only have three roommates.”

“There’s probably less of you. Not a lot of first years were sorted into Ravenclaw,” Patton said as he smoothed out a blanket on his bed and sat down. “What do you think of Hogwarts so far? My sisters said that they fell in love with it as soon as they got here. Oh, my sister Missy is in your house! Her name is Missy Foster.”

“Hogwarts is very appealing,” Logan said, trying to remember everything the energetic boy said. “It has astounding architecture. As for your sister, I don’t believe we’ve met, but I will remember her name.”

Patton opened his mouth to speak once more, but Virgil put a hand on his arm. “Pat, let him breathe. He’s kind of like me.”

“Oh, okay.” Patton stilled, turning to Logan. “Would you want to come explore the castle with us tomorrow?”

It seemed to almost pain him to refrain from bouncing. Logan smiled at the two. “It would be beneficial to know the way to our classrooms before Monday. What time would you like to start?”

“Noon.”

“After breakfast!”

The two Hufflepuffs gave each other such horrified looks that Logan couldn’t help but laugh. “How about we meet here at 9? Virgil, you can get your sleep, and Patton, you don’t have to wait half a day.”

“Do you mind if I invite one more person? My friend Roman was sorted into Gryffindor,” Patton asked the two, his speech starting to speed up once more. “We rode in on the boats together, and he’s really fun, and-”

“I am not opposed having a fourth member of our party,” Logan interrupted. “Virgil? What about you?”

“I mean, I don’t know the guy.” His gaze was trained on the floor and he was tugging at his hoodie sleeves. “But if Patton’s friends with him, I guess it’s okay.”

“I wouldn’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable,” Patton said, his eyes filled with concern as Virgil pulled the zipper all the way up on his hoodie. “If you don’t want him along, I can meet up with him by myself later.”

Virgil flicked his hair out of his face, shaking his head. “No, it’s okay.”

A knock sounded at the door.

“Come in!” Patton called out.

Derek opened the door, looking at Logan. “Not to be rude, but you should probably be heading back to Ravenclaw Tower. It’s starting to get late, and I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“You’re right. See you tomorrow, Virgil, Patton.” Logan said, nodding to the other boys.

Patton gave him a smile and waved. “Bye Logan!”

Virgil looked up, his hoodie muffling his words. “See ya, Lo.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Nighmare mention

As soon as Logan had left, Patton pulled a quill and some parchment out of his trunk and scribbled out a quick note.

“Are you writing to your parents?” Virgil asked, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to his chest.

Patton shook his head. “No, this is for Roman. That way he’ll be able to meet us here in the morning.”

“How are you going to get it to him? Lights out is in half an hour. You won’t be able to make it to the owlery and back in time.”

Skellington hopped up onto Virgil’s bed and began purring loudly, butting his head against the boy. Virgil started to pet him, relaxing almost instantly.

“Oooh, you have a cat!” Patton said, squealing. “I wanted a cat, but I’m allergic so I-”

“You’re allergic?” Virgil said, his hand freezing. Skellington mewed in protest. “If you want me to send him out of the room, I can.”

“No, it’s okay! My parents knew that they couldn’t ask everyone to keep their cats away, so they made me a potion to bring. I just put a drop on my tongue, and I’m good for 24 hours,” Patton explained as he hopped off of his bed. He dug to the bottom of his trunk, before pulling out a bottle. “Aha!”

Dipping a finger in the liquid, Pat licked it off before putting the potion back, wrapping it carefully in a towel so the bottle wouldn’t break.

“Hey, do you think I can borrow him to get this to Roman?”

Virgil turned to his cat. “You want to make a run to Gryffindor tower?”

Skellington made a noise of protest before curling up on the end of the bed.

“I think he’s done for tonight. But if you want company to the owlery tomorrow morning, you can wake me up and-”

“No need! I can go by myself. I’m sure someone else will need to send a letter too,” Patton said with a smile. “Can I pet him?”

“Sure,” Virgil said, scooting over.

Patton practically jumped on the bed. Skellington bounced at the motion and glared at the culprit.

Virgil recognized that look. “Uh, Pat, maybe you shouldn’t-”

Reaching out, Patton gently began to pet the cat’s ears. Skellington seemed to turn to liquid at his touch, and purred happily.

“Wow. I thought he was going to claw your arm off.”

“Has he clawed anyone else before?”

Virgil laughed at the alarm in Patton’s voice. “Yeah, um, just my brother Devin. But he’s not very nice in general.”

“He’s in Slytherin, right? Same as your other brother?”

Patton regretted mentioning anything as Virgil’s head whipped around towards him.

“You-you knew my brothers were in Slytherin?”

“Yeah.” He said, extremely confused.

“Why?” Virgil whispered, curling in on himself. He pulled his sleeves down so they were covering his fingers once more.

“Why what?”

“Why would you be friends with me?”

Patton felt his heart break. Virgil didn’t think he was a worthwhile friend? Even though he’d just met him a few hours ago, Patton just knew that they were going to be friends for the rest of their lives. “Because I can see what you can’t.”

“And what’s that?”

“I see someone that needed to be in Hufflepuff. You’re loyal to your family, you’re patient with me, and even though I don’t have proof yet, I can bet you’re hardworking. I don’t see the cunning nature, or the ambition, or the strong leader. I see someone willing to follow his friends to the end of the earth.” Seeing Virgil’s eyes fill with tears, Patton started to backtrack. “I mean, hardworking and ambition are really close and-”

“No, Pat, it’s okay,” Virge said, brushing the hair out of his eyes. “I just…I-no one has ever been so nice to me. You’re right, I don’t belong in Slytherin. I belong here.”

“You do.”

The two sat in silence for a minute, before Virgil yawned. “I’m gonna go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night.”

Patton got off of Virgil’s bed and headed to his own, hearing the curtains being drawn to his right. Since he wasn’t that tired, Patton pulled out some more parchment and started writing to his parents.

_Mom and Dad,_

_I got sorted into Hufflepuff! I know it’s not really a surprise, but I wanted to let you know anyway._

_I’ve already made three friends. One is my roommate, Virgil. He thinks he should’ve been in Slytherin with the rest of his family, but I think I convinced him that he belongs here with me. He seems like he’s had a hard childhood. Maybe he can come to our place for Christmas?_

_Roman and Logan are my other friends. Roman got sorted into Gryffindor. I’m going to ask Imogene to look out for him. He’s a muggleborn so he might need some extra help getting around the castle. Logan got sorted into Ravenclaw. I don’t really know much about him yet, but if he’s a friend of Virgil’s, he’s a friend of mine!_

_I’ll write some more soon!_

_Love, Patton_

After he finished the letter, Patton rolled up the parchment and put it on his trunk. He’d send it home with Cookie in the morning. She probably wanted to stretch her wings after being stuck in her cage for so long.

His other roommates came in then, tiptoeing inside. They looked at Virgil’s bed, before looking at Patton.

“Good night,” they all whispered, before heading to their own beds.

Patton followed suit, drawing his curtains shut and putting his glasses on top of his trunk. Pulling the quilt up to his chin, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

“ _I’m sorry._ ”

Waking up with a start, Patton listened. He could’ve sworn that someone had just spoke. Muffled crying came from the bed to his right.

Virgil.

Climbing out of bed, Patton carefully made his way to his friend. “Virge? Are you okay?”

“ _I’m so sorry._ ”

Hoping he wouldn’t mind, Patton pulled Virgil’s curtain back enough to see what was going on.

Virgil was still asleep. His eyes were closed, but his red face was streaked with tears. He was curled into a tight ball, and was shaking.

Patton ran his fingers through Virgil’s hair, just like his sisters had done for him. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe. You’re loved.”

After a few minutes, Virgil relaxed. The tears stopped falling and his body straightened out. Patton wished he could do more, but he got up to go back to sleep.

A hand grabbed his wrist. Turning, Patton saw Virgil’s green eyes piercing through the darkness.

“Will you-could you, um,” he whispered, struggling to find the words.

“Do you want me to stay with you?”

Virgil nodded, making room. Patton climbed in next to him and started to run his fingers through Virgil’s hair once more. The other boy sighed deeply, falling asleep once more. Patton kept up the movement until his own eyelids felt heavy. He snuggled closer to Virgil before sleep overtook him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Food mention, a little arguing, and a brief mention of panic.

Roman woke up to a sharp pain stinging his nose. His eyes fluttered open, taking in a brown and white blob in front of him. He screamed and flailed as he fell out of bed. The sudden noise woke everyone else.

“Good Merlin, Roman, what was that for?” James asked as he sat up.

“I’m being attacked!” Roman yelped as he tried to detangle himself. This resulted in him only wrapping himself up further. “This is the end! I’m done for!”

T, who hadn’t moved, glanced over and sighed. “Roman, it’s just an owl.”

“This is the end of the great Roman Castle!” He shouted, ignoring T’s statement. His struggling lasted another moment before he gave up, flopping down onto the floor. “Remember me!”

The owl hopped down to perch atop Roman’s head, which was barely sticking out from the comforter. She leaned down to peck at him once more, trying to do her job.

Roman finally managed to pull himself free of his bedding, nearly smacking the owl in the process. She hooted, flying away from him to perch on the end of his bed. Raising her right leg, she showed Roman that there was a note attached.

He crawled over to his trunk and pulled out a bag of treats. He fed one to the owl, who gave a happy hoot and a gentle peck to his hand, before he took the note.

“Persistent beast.”

The owl hooted once more, then took off out of their open window.

“Who’s it from?” Eric mumbled from under his pile of blankets.

“A friend in Hufflepuff,” Roman said, scanning the note. “I’m hanging out with him today.”

“Sounds great. I’m going back to sleep.”

There were a few murmurs of agreement. Roman couldn’t sleep after being woken up, so he quickly grabbed his things and headed to the bathroom he shared with the other boys. After a quick shower, he headed downstairs for breakfast.

A few people milled around, sleepily eating. Roman saw Patton at the Hufflepuff table and sat down next to him.

“I appreciate the invite, Patton, but you woke me from my beauty sleep,” Roman told him, grabbing a box of cereal.

A snort sounded from across the table. “It doesn’t look like it worked.”

Roman’s hand flew to his chest in offense as he looked at the boy. He was wearing a black hoodie, and had dark circles under his eyes. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in a few days.

“Roman, this is Virgil. Virgil, Roman,” Patton said, gesturing between them. “Once Logan gets here we can start figuring out where we want to go first.”

“I’d like to see the Quidditch fields. My roommates were explaining it to me last night, and I would love to be on the team,” Roman said.

Virgil grabbed a piece of toast. “First years can’t join the team. For safety reasons.”

“What safety reasons?” Roman challenged, feeling as though the stormcloud was messing with him.

“Do you even know how to fly a broomstick?”

Roman huffed. “No.”

Virgil waved his hand in a ‘there you go’ gesture, before munching down on his toast.

Another boy sat down next to Virgil, looking curiously at them all.

“I was under the impression that we were meeting at nine.”

“We were going to. I didn’t think Roman would be down here for breakfast at the same time we were, and Virgil got up when I did,” Patton explained to the boy.

His eyes turned to Roman. “My name is Logan. I assume you are Roman? Patton’s friend in Gryffindor?”

Roman nodded, looking at Logan’s tie, making the connection. “And you’re in Ravenclaw.”

“Yes,” Logan said. He grabbed some scrambled eggs, before stabbing them with a fork. Then he glanced around at everyone’s plates. “I insist that everyone has some protein before we get going. Lunch isn’t until 1.”

“Are you Logan Page?” Roman blurted out.

Logan’s head snapped to him, his glasses sliding. “How do you know-”

“I met your brother at the feast. He said his little brother was in Ravenclaw.” Roman explained, reaching for the eggs. He’d been planning on eating more anyway. Some bacon and sausage were added to the pile before he grabbed a fork and dug in.

When he looked up, he saw Virgil staring at him.

“What is it, Hot Topic?”

“Hot-what?”

“Hot Topic. It’s a muggle store. They do sell quite a few things that would fit your style, if your hoodie is any indication,” Logan explained as he poured himself some juice, before passing it to an eager Patton.

“Are you insulting me?” Virgil asked, completely confused.

Roman shook his head. “It’s a nickname.”

“If you want to give me a nickname, call me Virge.”

“Alright fine. Virge, why were you staring at me just now?”

“What are you talking about?”

Roman pointed at Virgil. “You were staring at me. Why?”

“You have a ton of food on your plate.”

“Is that a crime in the wizarding world?”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “No, I just don’t see why you need so much.”

“We can’t all be skinny bean poles like the two of you.” Roman gestured to Logan and Virgil. “Some of us want some extra meat on our bones.”

Virgil bit back the snarky remark that came to mind, choosing to glare at the Gryffindor instead.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table as the four continued to eat. Roman grabbed a banana and slipped it into his jacket pocket when the others wasn’t looking.

As they began to finish up, Patton cleared his throat. “Why don’t we make a plan of where we’d like to go today? Everyone can throw in an idea, and we can visit those places first. Roman? You said you wanted to visit the Quidditch Pitch?”

“Yes. Even if we can’t play, I’d still like to see it,” he said, giving a pointed look to Virgil, who rolled his eyes.

“Virge?”

Pulling his hoodie over his fingers once more, Virgil said, “I don’t really care.”

“There isn’t anything you’d like to see?” Logan asked, tilting his head.

“Not really.”

“Okay, but if you change your mind, speak up!” Patton said, before turning to the other glasses clad member of their group. “Logan?”

“I would like to see where our classrooms are.”

“I thought you said the prefects lead us there the first week,” Virgil said, panic flashing through his eyes. His fingers bunched up in the fabric of his hoodie.

Logan placed a hand on Virgil’s wrist. “I did. I would just like to know ahead of time.”

Virgil took a deep breath and nodded.

“I think we should visit Kenny in the Gamekeeper’s hut!” Patton said with a smile. “I bet it’s lonely there.”

Logan gave him a sharp nod. “We should start at the Quidditch Pitch, seeing as it would be empty at this hour, before checking out the greenhouses. After that, it should be late enough that we can visit Kenny without it being rude.”

“And then we can come inside and find our classrooms before lunch!” Patton said. “Is everyone okay with that?”

Logan nodded. “Yes.”

“Sounds good to me.” Roman said, sneaking one last piece of fruit.

Virgil shook his head at the Gryffindor, before turning to his excited friend. “Sure, Pat.”

“Alright, then let’s go!” Patton shouted as he jumped up from the table and ran to the doors of the Great Hall. When he turned back and saw the others were still sitting down, he gave them a look. “Come on!”

The other three shared a few smiles before leaving their plates and heading for the door.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Food mention and arguing

Patton kept everyone distracted with his constant chatter as they strolled through the halls. His bouncy walk was making Logan dizzy as he bobbed his head to keep eye contact. The Hufflepuff claimed he knew the way to the Quidditch Pitch, but that was impossible. None of them had been to Hogwarts before, therefore none of them could know where anything was located.

“Patton,” Logan said, walking faster to catch up. “How do you know where the Pitch is?”

“I saw it from the owlery this morning!”

Roman huffed from behind the two boys. “Your demon owl is persistent, Pat. She wouldn’t stop pecking at me until I took the note.”

Patton stopped and turned, a confused look on his face. “Well, yeah, that’s how I trained her. But Cookie isn’t a demon, she’s really sweet. She just likes attention.”

“Sounds like someone else here,” Virgil mumbled, hiding it with a cough into his sleeves.

Logan flashed him a grin as Roman began to talk with Patton about Cookie. Not a proper name for an owl, but Patton was…Patton. As they began to walk once more, Logan saw that Virgil had begun to chew on the strings of his hoodie. He slowed his pace, giving Virgil time to catch up.

“Are you alright?”

Virgil’s eyes snapped to Logan’s as he played with the zipper on his hoodie. “What? I’m fine.”

“The bags under your eyes disagree. It looks as though you didn’t get the proper amount of sleep last night.” Logan said, matter of factually. “If Patton woke you, I can talk to him.”

Virgil shook his head, his eyes widening ever so slightly. “No, it’s-I was having nightmares last night.”

“We could go to the hospital wing. I am positive the nurse has potions for those.”

“I don’t need potions,” Virgil mumbled, wringing his hands.

Logan’s concern only grew, but he knew that he shouldn’t push it. Virgil was not one for any confrontation, based on their prior interactions.

“Guys? It’s this way,” Roman called out as Logan and Virgil nearly walked by.

After a short walk, the silence filled by Patton talking even more about his owl, Roman gasped. “Is that-”

“Yep! That’s the Pitch.”

“It’s enormous!”

“It does have to house most of the students. On rare occasions, families are invited to watch, such as the Championship game at the end of the year,” Logan said, repeating what he’d read out of  _Quidditch: A New Era_.

“What about muggle parents?” Roman asked, turning to face his friends. His gaze flicked between the three of them as he rubbed palm with his thumb.

“I do not know,” Logan admitted, mentally cursing the fact that he had not gotten the annotated edition of the textbook. “But perhaps we can ask Kenny when we reach his cottage.”

“We should probably head there next! The greenhouses are back towards the school, and Kenny’s cottage isn’t too far from here,” Patton said, before he pointed. “And I can see smoke, so he must be awake.”

“Or the Forbidden Forest is on fire,” Virgil said without missing a beat.

Logan shook his head, dismissing the thought. “There would be much more smoke if the Forest was on fire. Given its size, the entire sky above the grounds would be filled turn black. You would be able to see it from-”

“Specs, we get it,” Roman said, cutting him off abruptly. “Let’s go see Kenny.”

Frustrated at the interruption, Logan clenched his teeth, falling into step with Virgil once more. Patton and Roman walked ahead, both of them talking animatedly with their hands.

“Lo? You okay?”

“Fine,” he snapped, before fiddling with his glasses.

Virgil bumped his shoulder with a gentleness that Logan hadn’t known he possessed. “That doesn’t seem fine to me.”

Through gritted teeth, Logan said, “I find it rude to be cut off.”

“I get that, but you were starting to freak me out,” Virgil told him.

Logan turned to him, feeling guilty. He had just been explaining how he knew the Forest could not possibly be on fire. “I was?”

“Yeah, but it’s not a big deal anymore. Just…I don’t want to think about the Forest being on fire. Ever.” Virgil said.

“It was a hypothetical situation. I did not mean to make you worry.”

Virgil flicked his bangs out of his face and gave a small nod. “I know. But I’m a worrier. In my case, if something can go wrong, it usually does.”

“Murphy’s Quantum Law.” Seeing the confused look on Virgil’s face, Logan shook his head. “Nevermind. I will try to be more considerate in the future.”

“Don’t worry about it, nerd,” Virgil said with a laugh.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “You are not incorrect about me being a nerd. That is a good thing here, if it earns Ravenclaw house points.”

“Yeah, I don’t think we’ll be seeing black and yellow banners anytime soon. Hufflepuff isn’t exactly known for winning the House Cup.” Virgil said, tugging his sleeves down again.

“No, but they have won it in the past. In fact, they won it back in 2010.”

“Hurry up, slowpokes!” Roman called out, waving his arms as if to get Logan and Virgil to walk faster. Patton was bouncing on his toes once more as they stood by the fence. Once he noticed that Logan and Virgil hadn’t quickened their pace, Roman rolled his eyes and dragged Patton through the gate, heading toward Kenny’s cottage.

Once Logan and Virgil had caught up, Patton knocked on the door.

It swung open a moment later, revealing the man who’d brought them across the lake in the boats. He had a smile on his face and was wearing an apron.

“Patton, Roman! It’s so nice to see the two of you,” he said, before his gaze travelled further back. “Hi, boys. I’m Kenny!”

Logan adjusted his glasses as he looked up at the groundskeeper. “My name is Logan, and this is Virgil.”

“Sup?” Virgil gave the groundskeeper a nod and tugged on the strings of his hoodie.

“Come on in, all of you,” Kenny said, pulling his door open wide. The boys entered the cottage, with Kenny right on their heels. “I was just making some muffins. Does anyone want some?”

“Yes please!” Patton and Roman said, taking a seat at Kenny’s dining table. Logan and Virgil shrugged and followed suit.

“What brings you boys over here?” Kenny waved his wand and five plates floated out of the cabinet, landing in front of them. The muffin basket sat in the center of the table. “Go ahead, serve yourselves.”

“Thank you,” Logan said as he grabbed a blueberry muffin. “We were exploring the castle before we start our lessons on Monday. It is always good to know your way around.”

“That’s true,” Kenny said. “But why are you boys way out here then? Shouldn’t you be inside the castle?”

“Roman wanted to see the Quidditch Pitch, so I suggested we come see you!” Patton explained eagerly as he took a huge bite of his muffin, crumbs falling everywhere. “Isn’t it lonely out here by yourself?”

“It’s not as bad as it seems. Besides, I’m just as free to roam the grounds as the students are. There’s quite a few students that greet me in the halls. And I go to all of the Quidditch games.”

“Speaking of Quidditch, I believe Roman had a question,” Logan said, looking pointedly at the Gryffindor.

Roman flushed a bright pink and looked down at the table. “Um, Logan said something about families being invited to certain Quidditch games. Does that mean muggle parents are invited as well?”

“Absolutely! But I think they’re only allowed to come if their child is on the team,” Kenny explained, waving his wand once more. A pitcher of cider and a few glasses floated over to the table. “Headmaster Thomas has to plan for how many muggle parents are coming, and it’s much easier to keep track with that rule in place.”

“How do they get here?” Virgil blurted out. As everyone turned to look at him, he busied himself by pouring a glass of cider. “I mean, they’re muggles. Isn’t there a charm so that they can’t even see the school?”

“There are ways to allow muggles to see the school. And Headmaster Thomas has a few places around the castle where he can Apparate and Disapparate.”

Logan perked up, curious. “He does? Assuming they are a secret to the students, how does he keep them from being found?”

“That I can’t tell you,” Kenny said, a small smile on his face. “Where are you boys off to next?”

“The greenhouses,” Roman said, reaching for another muffin.

Patton looked to Kenny. “Could you tell us how to get there?”

“Of course,” he said, grabbing some parchment and a pen. “If you head back to the left of the Pitch and go around the North Tower, you’ll enter a hallway here. Head left, which will take you out of the castle again, and then follow the wall on your right. There’ll be an archway that opens up into the greenhouses. You should all be in greenhouse 1 for Herbology. And if you follow this line, it’ll lead you to the transfiguration corridor. I believe you’re all in room 1B.”

“And that is taught by Professor Talyn, correct?” Logan asked.

“Yep! They’re one of the more fun professors here,” Kenny told them. “We’ve been friends for just under three years.”

“Um, thanks for the map,” Virgil said, reaching for it.

Roman snatched it out of his reach. “Oh no, doom and gloom. I’m leading this adventure.”

“You let Patton lead. Besides, you’ll probably get us lost, even with the map.”

Roman scoffed, but his response was cut off by Patton. “Why don’t you let Virgil lead? After we find the transfiguration classroom, you can take over.”

“Fine,” Roman sighed, handing Virgil the map.

Virgil grabbed it and zipped up his hoodie. He paused for a second, looking at Patton, before turning back to the Gryffindor. “Come on, we can both lead. Then there’s a better chance of us not getting lost.”

“Compromise. That’s what I like to see,” Kenny said as he levitated their dishes over to the sink. “Have fun today boys!”

“We will!”

The boys left the cozy cottage and headed back down the garden path towards the castle. Roman swung the gate open wide, leading the pack. With a heavy sigh, Logan pulled the gate closed before he followed.


	11. Chapter 11

Roman and Virgil led their group back to the castle, bickering over the map Kenny had drawn. Patton sighed and slowed his pace to walk with Logan, who was gazing up at the towers.

“It was smart of you to have them compromise,” The Ravenclaw said, his grey eyes moving from the castle to Patton’s face. “That would not have been my first solution.”

Patton blushed at the compliment and gave Logan a small smile. “It’s really not a big deal. My parents taught us how to compromise. My sisters and I still fight sometimes, but we usually work it out before it gets too bad.”

“Perhaps we should teach them those methods. They seem to clash a lot,” Logan said with a nod to Roman and Virgil. The latter was rolling his eyes at something the Gryffindor said.

“I’m just glad that Virgil is starting to come out of his shell,” Patton confessed as he glanced up at Logan. “He was really upset after he was sorted and didn’t really want to talk to anyone. I know his family are all in Slytherin, but that doesn’t mean that he belongs there.”

Logan looked down to him. “Agreed. Virgil does not seem to show many Slytherin traits. I am surprised that he wanted to lead us back to the castle. From my observations, he seems more likely to follow.”

“Maybe he just wanted to feel like he was a part of the group,” Patton said, watching as Roman started pointing at something on the map in Virgil’s hands. Virgil shook his head and pointed to something else. “I don’t think he gets listened to at home. And now that he’s a Hufflepuff, he doesn’t fit in with his family.”

“Perhaps we should make more of an effort to help him feel as though he is a part of our group. Roman will need to be informed.”

Logan moved to catch up to the other boys, but was stopped when Patton grabbed his wrist. “We can tell him later. I don’t want to embarrass Virgil.”

“Understood.”

The four boys continued across the grounds, the dewy grass dampening their shoes as they walked. They followed Kenny’s instructions, heading in and out of the castle before they came across the greenhouses.

They were all surprised to hear a melodic voice coming from Greenhouse 1. They opened the door to find a man cradling the leaf of a withering plant as he sang. His dark hands held the leaf as though it were a newborn baby.

“His voice is beautiful,” Patton whispered, swaying along with the beat.

Roman stared at the man in awe. “He needs to teach me.”

Virgil and Logan were silent, lulled by the tranquility of the scene.

By the time the man turned around, the four all felt at peace. Virgil’s eyelids had begun to flutter closed, but they flew wide open as the man spoke to them.

“Thank you for being so patient,” he said with a dazzling smile. His dark eyes moved over each of the boys in turn. “Usually I’m interrupted before I can finish the song. The plants don’t like that.”

“You are Professor Jamahl, correct?” Logan asked, pushing his glasses back up until they sat correctly on his nose.

“That’s me,” he said as he nodded. “Professor Jamahl, Head of Hufflepuff house. It’s nice to meet all of you.”

“You’re the Head of our house?” Patton bounced on his toes. He couldn’t believe that someone as cool as Jamahl had come from his own house.

“Yeah. Have been for a few years now.” Jamahl grabbed a watering can and moved towards the flowers next to Roman, his eyes catching the scarlet emblem on the boy’s loosely draped tie. “Looks like I’ll be seeing three of you on Monday.”

“What kind of plant is that? I’ve read all of our school books and I don’t recognize that one,” Logan asked, as he walked over to investigate.

“Oh, these aren’t magical,” Jamahl said, putting the watering can on the ground. “These are from my garden at home. They’re-”

“Bleeding hearts.”

Patton’s mouth fell open and Virgil’s head snapped up. Professor Jamahl even seemed shocked that Roman knew the name of the plant, though he kept his calm demeanor.

It was Logan who regained his composure the fastest. Clearing his throat, he asked, “How did you know that?”

“My mom grows them in a planter box,” Roman explained, his face turning as pink as the flowers. “She taught me about them when I was little. There’s a story that goes along with them, about a prince that tries to win the heart of a princess. She ignores all of his gifts and only realizes that she loves him after he stabs himself in the heart.”

“I am positive that the princess was merely feeling guilt,” Logan said. Seeing Roman’s disappointment and Patton’s disapproving look, he quickly amended his statement. “However, it is interesting that such a story could come from a flower.”

“Do you boys want to see some magical flora?” Jamahl asked, raising an eyebrow.

Patton nodded and followed him to the middle of the greenhouse. The professor pulled out a tiny purple plant that began hopping in his hand.

“This is a bouncing bulb,” he explained, before turning to Patton. “Cup your hands.”

Patton followed the instructions and Jamahl passed it to him. He giggled as it bounced around in his hands, tickling his skin. “They’re so full of energy!”

“Just like you,” Virgil said from Patton’s right, watching the plant with a fond smile on his face.

On Patton’s left, Roman leaned closer to get a better view, only for the bulb to bounce up and smack him in the nose. Roman let out a yelp, his hands flying up to rub the red spot that was forming quickly.

Virgil burst out laughing, and leaned against Logan, who was stifling his own laughter. Patton gave the two a stern look, which made the two stop laughing, before passing the bulb back to Jamahl.

“Roman, are you okay?” Patton asked, reaching up to check the injury.

“That plant just attacked me!” Roman cried, glaring at the bulb that was still bouncing in Jamahl’s hands. It seemed to taunt him as it hopped up and down.

Jamahl returned the bulb to it’s pot and put his hand on the Gryffindor’s shoulder. “Sorry Roman. If the plants feel like they’re going to get attacked, they attack first. I should’ve warned you.”

Roman, whose cheeks were now tomato red, rubbed his nose. “Attack it? I just wanted a closer look! My mother would love to have some of those in her garden!”

“Professor Jamahl, can you give us directions to the transfiguration corridor? We’re trying to find our classrooms before Monday, just in case we get lost,” Patton explained as took the map from Virgil to give to Jamahl. He was trying to take the attention off Roman, which was a little hard, since Virgil was still letting out the occasional giggle and Roman was still ranting about evil flowers.

“Sure.” Jamahl said, producing a quill out of thin air. “Go through the east wing until you see a knight statue with a blue feather in the helmet. If you push his sword down, there’s actually a shortcut into the corridor.”

“Should you really be telling four first years about a secret passage?” Logan asked, giving the professor a curious look.

Jamahl shrugged. “Whatever makes things easier.”

“Thank you, Professor!” Patton said as Roman snatched the map and headed for the door.

“No problem. See you Monday.”

Jamahl went back to his plants, and the four boys left Greenhouse 1, heading inside the castle once more.

“My turn to lead,” Roman announced as he held the map in front of him. After a moment, he glanced back. “I suppose you can help too, Doctor Gloom.”

“Gee, thanks,” Virgil said, but Patton could see the corners of his mouth twitch.

Patton walked with Logan again. “What do you think your favorite class is going to be?”

“I believe that I will enjoy Astronomy the most.”

“Really?” Patton was sure that the Ravenclaw would’ve said Charms or Defense Against the Dark Arts.

“Yes. I have always been fond of the stars. My mother, she would take my brother and me to a nearby park and point out the constellations. After he started Hogwarts, my brother didn’t want to go anymore. He said it felt like homework.” A small smile made its way onto Logan’s face as he thought about his home life.

“Do you still go with her?” Patton asked. Logan seemed happiest when he was talking about his mother. He’d have to remember that.

“Yes. In fact, we went just a few nig-”

“Found it!”

Patton didn’t miss the way Logan gritted his teeth at Roman’s shout that echoed through the corridor, or the sympathetic look that Virgil gave Logan. He made a mental note to talk to them separately. He couldn’t have his friends fighting with each other.

Roman was polite enough to wait for them to catch up before he pushed down on the sword. Just as Jamahl said, the wall opened up into a short passageway. Roman lead the way, followed closely by Logan.

Virgil hesitated as he looked into the darkness, biting his lip.

“Virge? Are you okay?” Patton asked in a whisper. He didn’t know if Virgil wanted the other boys to know that he was worried.

“How do we know this will come out where it should? What if we end up somewhere we don’t know, and we get lost, and-”

“Hey,” Patton said, grabbing Virgil’s hand and holding it up to his chest. “We’ll be okay. As long as we stick together.”

Virgil took a deep breath before following Logan into the dark passageway, his grip never loosening on Patton’s hand.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Deceit, fighting

_We’re okay. We’re fine. There’s light right there. I can see Logan._ Virgil’s thoughts swirled as he and Patton made their way through the passage. There was so much that could go wrong in a small space like this.

Just before they stepped out of the passage, Virgil heard something that made him freeze.

“Hey, you’re that kid my brother was standing next to before he got sorted.”

Taking a deep breath, Virgil hovered in the shadows. His brother didn’t know he was here. He would be fine, as long as Devin didn’t see him.

“Yes, I am.” Logan’s voice echoed down the passageway.

“Virge?” Patton whispered, squeezing his hand. He was standing in the shadows too. “What’s going on?”

Virgil hesitated for a second. “Devin.”

Patton did the last thing Virgil expected and pulled him further back into the shadows.

“Don’t worry. We’re in this together, remember? Your house is your family.” He whispered, rubbing comforting circles on Virgil’s hand.

“What did you say to him? He was supposed to be a Slytherin. Something, or maybe someone, changed his mind,” Devin said. From his place in the shadows, Virgil could see his brother circling Logan. He could also see Roman drawing his wand.

Virgil’s heart leapt to his throat as Devin whipped around. “ _Furnunculus_!”

Boils began to sprout on Roman’s face. The Gryffindor dropped his wand and started screaming bloody murder. Logan rushed to his side, the wheels clearly turning in his head. Devin smirked at the Gryffindor, admiring his handiwork.

Virgil stepped back once more, knowing that there wasn’t anything he could do to help. If he left the passageway, Devin would see him and make things ten times worse for his friends. And it’s not like he knew the counter-jinx to help Roman.

“What’s going on?” Another voice called out, stopping Devin in his tracks. Virgil was stunned to watch his brother run off, instead of lying his way out of the situation.

A professor with pink and blue hair stepped into view. Patton gently pulled Virgil out of the passageway, and turned to them.

“It was Devin Night, Professor.” Patton held tight to Virgil’s hand. He started to rub circles with his thumb again. “He jinxed our friend.”

The professor nodded before they turned to Roman. “Ah, the boil jinx. No worries, this is an easy fix.”

“An easy fix? Look at my face!” Roman screeched. His near perfect complexion was riddled with bright red boils that seemed to pulse as Roman spoke. The professor tried to speak to him, but Roman began to rant about how he’d never be a famous actor with a face this ugly.

The professor turned to Patton and Virgil while Logan tried to calm Roman down. “What’s his name?”

“Roman,” Virgil said, his voice shaky. He cursed himself for being such a coward. They hadn’t needed to pull this professor away from their work.

The professor turned back to the Gryffindor. “Roman, I need you to calm down. I can fix this with the counter-jinx, but you need to stop screaming.”

“Calm down?! I can’t-”

Logan slapped his hand over Roman’s mouth. “Continue.”

Offended noises came from Roman, but they were muffled by Logan’s hand.

“ _Finite_ ,” the Professor said calmly, drawing what appeared to be a shield with her wand. The boils evaporated from Roman’s face.

Logan pulled his hand away suddenly. He wiped his hand on his robes and sent a glare towards Roman. “Licking was not necessary.”

“I’m cured!” Roman cried out as his hands roamed over his face, feeling for any impurities. Virgil and Logan shared a look as Roman began to praise any being he could think of. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Patton turned to the professor. “Who are you?”

“I’m Professor Talyn,” they said with a smile. “I teach Transfiguration, so I’ll be seeing all of you on Monday.”

“Um, Professor? Could you not bring this up as an example or anything?” Roman’s gaze was trained on the floor.

Talyn tilted their head. “Why would I ever do that? This didn’t happen during my class hours, and that’s an example of Defense Against the Dark Arts, not Transfiguration.”

“The boils did not change into something else. They were simply removed,” Logan explained. There was a curious glint in his eye as he looked over at Roman.

“If anything like that happens again, let me know, okay?” Talyn said as they ruffled the pink side of their hair. “And I’ll be taking 5 points from Slytherin.”

“Professor Talyn?” Virgil said, wincing at the glare he received from Roman. “Could you give us directions to the Potions classroom?”

“Sure!”

Talyn gave them detailed instructions to the dungeons before they headed back to their classroom. “Say hello to Professor Dahlia for me!”

“We will!”

The second they entered the stairwell to head down to the dungeons, Roman whirled on Virgil, pushing him up against the wall.

“Why didn’t you try to stop your brother?” He growled.

Virgil froze and his breathing quickened. “I-I didn’t-”

“No, you didn’t. You just sat back in the shadows and let him jinx me,” he snapped, pushing harder on the hoodie-clad boy.

Patton pulled Roman off, dragging him backwards. He scowled at the Gryffindor. “Roman, that’s not fair. I was in the shadows too.”

“Yes, but he could’ve done something!” Roman snarled. His eyes became a stormy blue as he glared, trembling with anger.

Before Patton could open his mouth again, Virgil stepped forward. “And what could I possibly have done? Did  _you_ know the counter-jinx?”

“He’s your  _brother_. Family listens to each other!” Roman shouted, his voice echoing around the stairwell.

Virgil flinched at the noise, shrinking back into his hoodie. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper. “Not mine. My brother hates me.”

“That can’t be true,” Roman scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Blood is thicker than water.”

Logan cleared his throat, stepping in front of Virgil. “Actually, that is not the full proverb. The full saying is ‘the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb’, which means that the friendships we choose are stronger than the family we are born into.”

“Shut up.” Roman snapped, not even bothering to look in Logan’s direction.

Logan shot him a glare and opened his mouth to protest.

“You all need to shut up!” Patton blurted out, his hands forming shaky fists and shocking everyone into silence. Logan broke out of his shock first.

“But Patton-”

“No!” Patton interrupted, looking at the three of them desperately.“I’m sorry, Logan, but we can’t go anywhere until we stop fighting! I can’t handle this! All day, everyone has been pushing everyone else’s buttons! I’m sick of it! We’re going to explain ourselves, apologize, and love each other!”

Patton’s breath came in pants as he stared at them.

Roman’s steely gaze fell to the floor. “I must apologize. I…didn’t realize we were making you feel that way Patton.”

“And Virgil, maybe next time we can comfort Roman after Devin leaves?”

The other Hufflepuff nodded, playing with his sleeves again.

“Logan, I must apologize,” Roman said, after Patton nudged him. “It was wrong of me to tell you to shut up.”

“Apology accepted,” Logan said, his tone slightly tense. “Now, can we please continue to the dungeons?”

“Not until you tell us what’s wrong with you.” Patton’s tone was gentle, but his face was serious.

Virgil bit his lip, knowing that Logan was not a big fan of Roman.

“I-there-” Logan started, taking a deep breath before continuing his protest. “-there’s nothing wrong, Patton!”

Patton gave Logan a dubious look, but then his gaze shifted to Virgil. The other Hufflepuff was shaking his head, mouthing ‘not now.’

Roman looked at Virgil, confused. Virgil sighed, and turned to face the Gryffindor. “He was trying to help. My family doesn’t like me. I’m glad yours does, but it doesn’t always work out that way.”

“Not all families are created equal, dude.”

The four boys turned towards the voice. Roman perked up as Logan groaned quietly.

“Remy!”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”

Logan huffed. “That is impossible.”

Remy turned to him, a smirk on his face. “Logan, Logan, Logan, Logan, Logan, Lo-”

“Okay! I get it!” Logan said, waving his arms indignantly.

Virgil turned to Logan, unsure of what to think of the older student. Logan was hiding a smile with an eye roll.

“So, Roman, which one of these Puffs is Patton?”

“That’s me!” Patton waved, his smile as bright as the sun. It was a strange sight in the dim lighting of the dungeons. “And this is Virgil.”

“Hi.”

Remy’s eyes swept over Virgil. The Hufflepuff wrapped a fraying string from his sleeve around his finger.

“You’re a Night, right?” Remy asked, his voice soft. Logan looked up, amazed that he could be so gentle.

Virgil nodded, wondering what the next question would be. ‘Why aren’t you in Slytherin’ was his best guess.

What he hadn’t expected was for the Gryffindor to smile at him. “Make sure my brother eats, yeah?”

“Brother?” Virgil glanced to Roman.

Remy laughed, the noise dissipating what was left of the tense argument. “No, not Roman. Logan is my little brother.”

“Sadly.” Logan rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Come on, you know you love me,” Remy teased, ruffling Logan’s hair. The Ravenclaw glared at his brother before fixing it. Remy turned back to the other boys. “Need some help?”

“We’re fine,” Logan said, elbowing his brother lightly. “You can go back upstairs and take a nap now.”

“Nah, fam. I’m awake from now until I pass out again.” Seeing the map in Roman’s hands, Remy reached out. Roman passed it off to him without a fight. “Ah, the Potions classroom. I’ll take you down there. I was heading in that direction anyway.”

“Great!” Patton and Roman said in unison.

Virgil turned to Logan. “Is that okay with you?”

“I suppose.” He said quietly, looking down at the stone floor.

Remy flashed them a smile before leading them down into the dungeons.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Siblings fighting.

“Is there any particular reason that you need to go see Professor Dahlia?” Logan asked his brother as they headed down the spiraling staircase. The lanterns on the walls were becoming more and more spaced out, darkening the hall as well as the mood as they headed to the Potions classroom.

Remy flashed his brother a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You don’t need to worry about it, little brother. It’s nothing she can’t fix up with a potion.”

“Do Mom and Dad know?” Logan asked, determined to know what was wrong with his brother.

“Yeah.” Remy turned to Patton. “You have older sisters, right? Missy and Imogene?”

Logan frowned at his brother’s evasion. Patton didn’t notice, nodding as he hopped down the steps. “How do you know them?”

“Missy’s in my year, and Imogene is in my house. That’s how I met Roman here too,” Remy explained as he ruffled Roman’s hair.

Roman let out a startled gasp. His hands immediately flew up to his head, trying to restyle his hair without a mirror. “How dare you mess up my hair! It took me fifteen minutes to get it perfect this morning!”

“Sorry, your highness,” Remy said, getting a snort out of Virgil. The older boy grinned at him before leading them to the bottom of the stairs and into the potions classroom.

In comparison to the dark hallway, the classroom was bright. There were glowing orbs of light hovering just beneath the ceiling. Glass cabinets lined the walls. Each one was labelled with the ingredients held inside.

At the front of the classroom, a dark-skinned woman was carefully stirring a potion. She looked up, her brown eyes landing on Remy before they swept across the other boys.

“Here for your potion, Remy?”

Remy nodded, ignoring the feeling of Logan’s eyes boring into his skull. Frustrated, Logan opened his mouth to ask about the issue again, but Professor Dahlia spoke first.

“Is there something I can do for the rest of you?”

“We’re just finding our classrooms before Monday!” Patton chimed in, flashing a huge smile.

Dahlia returned his smile, stirring the potion at a higher speed. “That’s nice to hear! Many students get lost on their way to Potions for the first time.”

“They do?” Virgil’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and his breathing began to quicken.

Logan shifted next to him and started counting under his breath. “One, two, three, four…”

As he continued to count, Dahlia dropped in an ingredient. Smoke billowed off the potion, starting as a gray color before turning purple. “Don’t worry, the dungeons aren’t as big as they seem. If you get lost in here, you just walk in a circle until you find the classroom.”

Virgil’s breathing slowed slightly, but not enough for Logan’s liking. He continued to count under his breath, completely missing the proud look Remy gave him.

Patton looked over, having finally heard Logan’s counting. Concern flooded his face and he lightly brushed his fingers against Virgil’s. “Don’t worry. We’ll come down here together!”

“Yes, the three of us share potions.” Logan stopped counting, satisfied with Virgil’s breathing.

Roman frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “Lucky. I have Potions with Slytherin.”

“And what’s wrong with Slytherin?” Dahlia asked as Remy started to crack up behind them. “After all, that is my house.”

“There is nothing wrong with Slytherin.” Logan explained to her. “We just had a bad experience with a few students from that house. Roman was on the brunt end of a mean prank.”

Roman gasped, putting his hand over his heart as he leaned back against one of the desks. “Mean prank? That was absolutely cruel! No one should have to go through the horrors that were cast upon me!”

“Professor Talyn cast the counter jinx within moments,” Logan said, rolling his eyes at the Gryffindor’s dramatics. He turned back to Professor Dahlia. “They say hello.”

“I must have lunch with them soon. It’s been too long,” Dahlia said, spooning the potion into a vial. After adding a stopper, she handed it to Remy. “That should last you until after Christmas. I’ll brew a new batch after that.”

“What potion is that?” Virgil mumbled, grabbing one of his hoodie strings. He wound it around his finger as he looked up at Dahlia.

“Dreaming Draught. It helps guide someone to sleep, and keeps them asleep with pleasant dreams.” She began to pour more into a much smaller vial. “Did you need some too? Many new students suffer sleep problems their first week here, so I’m allowed to give out sample doses. But after the first week, you’ll need a signed note from Dr. Picani.”

“Like a prescription?” Roman asked, taking a step forward so he could see the potion closely.

“Yes, a lot like a prescription.” She said, before holding a vial out to Virgil. “It’s best if you try it out now. I can’t guarantee Emile will sign off for you.”

“Oh, he probably will,” Remy said, waving his hand. “He’s great about knowing who needs it and who just wants it.”

“And why do you need it, Remy?” Logan stared at his brother, looking a lot like Patton as concern flooded his features.

“None of your business.” Remy said dismissively, heading for the door. “Are we continuing the tour á la Remy, or no?”

Patton nodded vigorously and dragged Roman over to the door. Virgil followed closely behind, before glancing back.

“Logan?” Virgil hovered in the doorway.

Logan’s face twisted, making him look as though he’d eaten a sour lemon. His hands curled into fists as he glared at his brother’s back.

He wasn’t a child anymore! Why couldn’t Remy trust him? It just wasn’t fair!

Any thought going through his mind stopped abruptly as he looked up to see Virgil staring at him. Concern was written all over Virgil’s face. Logan quickly made his expression neutral, and smoothed down his robes.

“Ah, yes. Let us continue with the tour…so that we can be finished before lunch.” He hated the fact that his voice sounded bitter. Virgil didn’t seem to notice, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the classroom.

“Remember, Virgil, if you need more, go to Dr. Picani first!” Dahlia called out.

“I will,” Virgil said just loud enough for Dahlia to hear before they left the classroom, plunging into the dark hallway once more. He squeezed Logan’s hand in reassurance before they continued up the staircase.

“Alright, where do you guys want to head next?” Remy asked as they all headed back upstairs. He turned, walking backwards so that he could look at the first years. “Where have you been already?”

“We went to the Quidditch pitch and saw Kenny, then we went to the greenhouse, and then the Transfiguration corridor, and then we ran into you!” Patton said, all in one breath.

Remy stared at the Hufflepuff for a second, taking in everything he’d said. Patton simply gave him a smile and started bouncing up the stairs.

After a moment, Remy snapped his fingers. “How about we head to see Professor Dominic? He’s on the next floor.”

Logan gave his brother an annoyed look. “And  _who_ is Professor Dominic?”

“He teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he’s head of Slytherin house,” Remy said as he nudged Roman, flashing the Gryffindor a teasing grin. “Not all Slytherins are bad, princess. Keep that in mind.”

“I am not a princess! If anything, I am a prince!” Roman shouted, pausing to stomp his foot.

Virgil stifled a laugh as he brushed past. “Whatever you say, Princey.”

Roman groaned at the nickname as they made their way into the main hall. “At least it’s not princess.”

Remy waved his arm, directing them to a staircase on their right. “Alright, up the next flight of stairs! Remy’s tours don’t stop until lunch!”

“You’re giving tours?”

The five of them turned around at the unexpected voice. Logan saw a girl their age tugging on her dark hair as she stared up at Remy.

“Celeste!” Patton cried, moving to hug the girl. She took a step backwards and held up her hands, stopping the Hufflepuff in his tracks.

“Please don’t,” she whispered, her gaze moving down to the floor. “I don’t like hugs.”

Patton frowned, but he took a step back. “That’s okay.”

“Would you like to come with us?” Roman asked, before his gaze caught on her tie. He gasped as he took in the insignia. “You were sorted into Slytherin?”

Her head snapped up to look at Roman, and he saw tears starting to form in her eyes. “If you don’t want me to come with you, that’s okay. I can find the classrooms by myself.”

“Hey now, Remy’s tours are welcome to everyone.” Remy jumped off the stairs, stopping in front of Celeste. “No matter what house they’re in.”

She gave him a watery smile, before swallowing hard. “Thank you.”

Remy winked, before heading back to the staircase. He stood on the third step, looking down at his small crowd. “Now, the next floor has the Defense Against the Dark Arts classrooms, which is where we’ll meet Professor Dominic. There’s also the bottom floor of the Owlery, the Hospital Wing, and the Arithmancy classrooms, but you guys won’t have to worry about that class until later.”

The five first years followed Remy as he toured them around the castle. By the time they visited Professor Terrance in the Astronomy tower, they were exhausted from climbing all the stairs.

Remy lead them back to the main staircase. “This concludes Remy’s tour. If you’d like to tip your tour guide-”

“Remy.” Logan said, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

The oldest Page sighed. “Fine. Are you guys hungry? Lunch will be starting soon.”

“Is there a faster way down?” Roman slid down the wall and sat on the floor. “I don’t know if I can handle all of these stairs again.”

“Oh, there’s a few ways down.” Remy flashed a mischievous grin.

Logan saw the glint in his brother’s eye and took a step backwards. “I’m okay with the stairs.”

“Relax, Lo,” Remy said, grinning. “I was going to tell you about the shortcut. But Roman here is in Gryffindor. The house of the brave.”

Logan started tapping his foot as he stared at his brother. “Remy, where is this going?”

With no warning whatsoever, Remy leapt over the banister, screaming, “Parkour!”

Celeste and Virgil froze in place, not daring to look over to where he fell. Roman let out a gasp as Patton clung to him and screamed.

Logan uncharacteristically darted over to look over the rails, terrified that he’d just lost his brother to the unforgiving staircases of Hogwarts.

To his shock, and relief, he found his brother, perfectly fine, balancing on the railing of the next staircase.

“If you’re too scared to do this, try the shortcut behind the painting of Dumbledore!” Remy called up to them, before jumping to another staircase, whooping as he landed.

Roman’s eyes were wide with amazement. Just before he could climb on top of the banister, Virgil’s arm shot out and grabbed him.The Hufflepuff yanked him toward the painting. Patton, Logan, and Celeste followed, with Roman protesting all the way.


	14. Chapter 14

Logan grabbed Virgil’s arm, stopping him and Roman in their tracks before they could head through the painting. He gave Virgil a nod, and Virgil let go of Roman.

“You’d be better off not following in his footsteps.” Logan’s face was neutral, but his voice was shaky.

Roman rolled his eyes before he gestured towards the spot where Remy had jumped. “Are you kidding? That was so cool! Your brother is awesome!”

“Irrelevant.” Logan snapped. Virgil saw something flash through his eyes, but he couldn’t place it. Logan clenched his fists before he hissed, “I’d rather not be awesome and stay alive instead of being awesome and getting myself killed.”

“Sometimes you have to take risks,  _Logan_.” Roman replied scathingly. He spun around and marched over to the portrait labelled ‘Dumbledore’. He looked the old man in the eye. “Remy says there’s a shortcut behind your painting?”

“Roman!” Patton scolded. He frowned, before standing up tall and imitating his father. “Use your manners.”

Virgil could practically see the gears turning in Logan’s head as he turned. “Roman, do you know who Dumbledore is?”

Roman flushed as he realized that everyone was staring at him. “Should I?”

“There are many who know me, and many who don’t,” Dumbledore said, peering over his half-moon glasses to look at Logan. “I would like to know what my reputation has become.”

“You were one of the greatest wizards who ever lived,” Logan replied, admiration in his voice.

Roman spun back to the portrait, his eyes wide. “One of the-I apologize for not knowing who you are sir.”

“It is quite alright, young man.” A small smile made its way onto the old wizard’s face. “If you wish to know more, I’m not going anywhere.”

Roman returned the smile. “Thank you sir. But for now, could we have access to the passage?”

Dumbledore looked at the Gryffindor, a twinkle in his eye. “Are you sure you want to take it?”

“Anything to avoid those stairs again. And since he won’t let me follow Remy…” Roman trailed off, shooting a small glare at Virgil. The Hufflepuff returned the look before he lowered his gaze, tugging on his sleeves.

The gleam in Dumbledore’s eye vanished as he watched the exchange. “Your friend was trying to keep you safe. That’s certainly a good friend to have.”

Roman sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Could we please just have access?”

“Of course, young Gryffindor.”

The portrait swung to the side, revealing a hole in the wall. Everyone peered inside, unable to see anything but darkness.

“Are we sure this is safe?” Virgil mumbled, taking a step back.

Roman shot him an irritated look. “Would Remy try to hurt his own brother?”

“Roman, he tried to get you to jump off a staircase. A staircase that moves, mind you. Safety is not one of his priorities.” Logan reminded him.

With a shrug, Roman turned toward the shortcut. “Geronimo!”

“Roman, wait!” The four of them chorused.

Without listening to another word, Roman leapt into the darkness. He fell backwards as he began to slide down. He laughed as picked up speed, feeling the wind against his face as he slid further and further away from his friends.

A minute passed before he slid to a stop on the cold stone floor. Glancing up, he saw Remy leaning against a pillar through a thin veil.

“Guys, come on down! It’s really fun!” He called upwards, before stepping through the wall.

Remy gave him a lazy smile as he stretched his arms above his head. A few loud pops could be heard. “I bet you wish you would’ve followed me.”

Roman pouted, crossing his arms. “They wouldn’t let me.”

“Yeah, now that I think about it, you probably would’ve ended up in the hospital wing.” The older student said, winking at a cluster of students at the end of the hallway. One of them waved before he was dragged off by his friends.

Celeste tumbled out of the wall then, looking slightly pale.

“Are you alright?” Remy asked, reaching out to steady the Slytherin.

She took a step back to avoid his touch and sat down hard on the floor. Her tiny body began to shake. “I don’t like falling.”

“Falling? That was sliding! And it was glorious!” Roman spun around in a circle, his hands in the air.

“It felt like falling to me.”

The girl wrapped her arms around herself and took a few deep breaths. As the color began to return to her face, Patton came through the wall, crashing into Roman.

“Woah! Watch it there, Patton!” Roman laughed as he steadied him.

Patton giggled, grabbing onto Roman to keep himself upright. “Sorry, I tripped.”

“Where are the other two?” Remy asked, checking his watch. “Lunch has already started and I’d like to grab a seat before all the good stuff is gone.”

“He’s got a point,” Roman said, biting his lip. “We can’t wait too long.”

“I thought they were right behind me.” Patton frowned as he stared at the spot he’d emerged from.

“I can go see,” Roman said, heading towards the wall.

Celeste shook her head from her spot on the floor, but Roman didn’t see her. Instead, he walked right into Virgil. Roman grabbed the Hufflepuff on instinct. The unexpected motion threw Virgil further off balance and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Roman rolled as they fell, causing Virgil to smack his head on the floor.

“Um, ow!” Virgil rubbed the back of his head, glaring up at the Gryffindor above him.

Roman held himself up, palms on either side of the Hufflepuff’s face, returning the glare. “You could’ve said something to announce your presence.”

“And you can get off of me.” Virgil snapped back, shoving Roman onto the floor and getting up.

Patton shot the two of them a look, and had opened his mouth to scold them when Logan stepped through the wall, shaking his head. “Roman, not every passage goes two ways. You couldn’t re-enter that wall unless you blew it up.”

“Good to know, Nerd,” Roman said, dusting off his pants. “Can we head to lunch now?”

“The Great Hall is right through here, but you all know that,” Remy said, waving to the set of doors. “Later!”

Remy strode toward the double doors, stuffing his hands in his robe pockets.

“He is so cool.” Roman breathed, admiring Remy’s confidence.

“Let’s just go eat.” Logan mumbled bitterly, before trailing after his brother.

Remy made a beeline for the Gryffindor table. A group of students waved at him, parting to give him a seat.

Celeste had already broken off from their group and was sitting at the Slytherin table.

“I guess we’re on our own now.” Virgil said to everyone as he started to side-step towards the Hufflepuff table.

“Come on! We can compare timetables and figure out places to meet up for class while we eat!” Patton skipped to the Hufflepuff table with Virgil in tow.

Logan saw Roman glance at the Gryffindor table before he looked back at Patton. “If you wish to eat with your house, no one is stopping you. However, based on the fact that Patton views all of us as friends, he will likely be upset if you do not join us.”

“Do you not think we’re all friends?” Roman looked crestfallen. His shoulders slumped slightly as he stared at Logan.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “I would not label us as friends, no. I just met you this morning, and I scarcely know anything about you. Acquaintances would be the proper term.”

“Logan! Roman! Aren’t you going to join us?” Patton called from the table, his plate already filled with food.

The two boys exchanged a look before heading over to join the Hufflepuffs.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Food mention

“Since the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws share Defense Against the Dark Arts, we should meet up after breakfast!” Patton bounced in his seat as Roman and Logan sat down and pulled out their timetables. “And then Virgil and I will meet up with Roman in the greenhouses for Herbology! And after that, we can all hang out since we have a break until lunch!”

“Pat, slow down,” Virgil said, picking at the crackers on his plate. “One thing at a time.”

“Right, sorry,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Did we want to have breakfast together?”

Roman started piling food on his plate, looking over his shoulder at the Gryffindor table. “I might have breakfast with my roommates.”

“And I would like to have breakfast alone to prepare myself for our first class,” Logan said as he took a sandwich and some grapes.

Patton stopped bouncing in his seat. “Oh. Well, that’s okay! Did you want to meet up after breakfast then?”

“That would be optimal. We are headed to the same classroom.” Logan popped a grape into his mouth.

Virgil looked from Logan to Roman. The two were sitting very stiffly, and not even looking in the other’s direction. Logan caught his eye and simply shook his head.

Roman cleared his throat, holding up his timetable. “After lunch I have Charms and then Transfiguration.”

“As do I.” Logan said, looking over at Roman. A clatter of plates grabbed their attention before things could get too awkward. A spotted owl righted itself after nearly landing in the pudding and hopped over Roman’s plate to get to Patton.

“Cookie, you’re back!” Patton squealed, removing the letter from her beak before petting her. The owl hooted happily as he pulled out a treat and gave it to her. “Get some rest.”

She flew off, one of her spotted wings swatting Roman in the head as she did so. He gaped at her.

“Did you see what your demon owl just did?!” Roman asked sharply, throwing his hands up in the air when he noticed that Patton was busy with his letter. He locked eyes with Virgil, who was stifling giggles behind his sleeve. “That’s not funny!”

Logan opened his mouth to make a comment, but stopped as a white cat jumped up on the table, causing Patton to squeal even more.

“Thank you, Agatha,” Logan said as he removed the letter from her mouth.

“She’s so cute!” Patton cried, holding his hand out. Agatha tentatively sniffed him before she jumped into his lap and began to purr loudly. Patton stroked her fur, making small happy noises as he did so.

Virgil gave him a wary look. “Pat, did you take your allergy potion this morning?”

Logan looked up, alarmed. “Allergy potion?”

“Of course I did!” Patton had started giving Agatha butterfly kisses, but his face didn’t swell up. Virgil let out a sigh of relief.

Logan held his hand out to Agatha, getting both her attention and Patton’s. “You’re allergic to cats, Patton? I wasn’t aware-”

“Ah, Sir Galahad!” Roman said, holding his arm out. A tawny owl landed there, dropping a letter into his other hand. “Thank you. You have done well. Take this offering and return to your nest.”

“They don’t have nests.” Virgil said, rolling his eyes as he took a sip of his drink.

Roman ignored him and ripped open his letter, his eyes flicking back and forth as he read it. “Dear Roman, we’re delighted that you’re in Gryffindor! We hope you have a lot of fun at school and make loads of new friends. Love, Mom and Dad.”

“It is not necessary to read your mail aloud,” Logan said, glaring at Roman as he folded up his letter and put it in his pocket.

“Maybe I wanted to share how loving my parents are.”

As the two began to bicker, Patton looked at Virgil, who had pushed his plate away. “Virge? How come you didn’t get any mail?”

Virgil shrugged, slipping his hood over his head. “It’s fine, Pat.”

Patton opened his mouth to protest, but he was interrupted by a girl in a Ravenclaw uniform. Virgil crossed his arms on the table and laid his head on them, grateful for the distraction. Roman and Logan stopped arguing and looked over.

“Patton, mom and dad sent this to me. They said they would’ve sent it to Cookie, but she was too small to carry it.”

“A new set of Gobstones?” Patton gasped, taking the bag from the girl. “Thank you Missy!”

“Who are your friends?” Missy asked, taking a seat next to Patton.

“This is Roman, Logan and Virgil,” he said, pointing to each of them in turn. Roman gave her a huge smile, Logan a nod, and Virgil a small wave. “Guys, this is my sister, Missy.”

“Nice to meet you all, and nice to see you again Logan,” she said, giving them all a smile. Her eyes lingered on Virgil for a moment before she turned back to Patton. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to aid Professor Leo with the brooms for Ravenclaw’s first Quidditch practice.”

“See you later!” Patton gave her a hug, before turning to Roman and holding up the bag of Gobstones. “Are you up for learning a new game, Roman?”

“Of course! I’ll be winning by the end of the day.” Roman shot him a confident grin.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by. Logan and Virgil watched as Patton taught Roman how to play Gobstones. Roman demanded that they play until he won a game. It took about 50 games of losing until he finally got a victory. By then, Logan and Virgil were playing Wizard’s Chess with Logan’s set.

Eventually Roman and Logan left for their respective common rooms. Patton flopped down on his bed, sighing happily.

“I’m so glad that I’ve got such good friends,” he said, sinking into the mattress. Rolling over, he turned to look at Virgil, who was snuggling into his sheets. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”

“I just want to chill.” Virgil admitted, smiling as Skellington hopped up onto his bed and curled up by his chest. “Sleep in, and maybe flip through a few of our schoolbooks.”

Patton nodded, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That sounds like fun. I think I’ll go visit Kenny again, and maybe try to see the Giant Squid.”

Virgil hummed, his eyes closed. “Yeah, Pat, that sounds great.”

The two fell into an easy sleep, not even stirring when the rest of their roommates came in.

Sunday came and went. Patton did end up visiting Kenny again, but instead of looking for the Giant Squid, he visited his sisters and his owl.

Virgil slept in until noon, grabbed some food, and proceeded to skim through their school books in the common room, accompanied by Skellington. A few other Hufflepuffs joined him silently and he appreciated their presence.

Logan read through the entirety of their astronomy book, smiling as he bookmarked anything new to tell his mother. She would be fascinated at the constellations that only wizards knew about.

Roman spent the day with his roommates, exploring the castle and enjoying himself. The Gryffindor boys were much braver than his other friends, something he was grateful for.

The four met up in the Great Hall, rushing through their dinner before returning to their dorms to get a good night’s sleep before their first day of class.

Virgil was especially nervous, and ended up tossing and turning in bed. He was careful not to wake Patton. He could deal without a full night’s sleep, he’d done it before. He stared at the ceiling for hours, before sleep finally overtook him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Manipulative Deceit, food mention

“Virgil! Virgil, get up!”

Virgil groaned as he opened his eyes to find Patton only a few centimeters away from his face. He let out a yelp, falling out of his bed and nearly squishing Skellington. The cat mewed loudly, jumping out of the way of danger onto Patton’s bed.

“Merlin, Pat,” Virgil gasped, his hand resting on his chest. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

Patton blushed as he knelt down next to Virgil. He started pulling on one of the sheets, attempting to free his roommate. “Sorry. I’m just so excited! We start class today!”

“Where’s everyone else?” Virgil asked, looking around the empty room.

Patton tugged Virgil free and smiled as the bed made itself. “Breakfast.”

“What time is it?” Virgil stretched his arms above his head. There were a few pops as he did so.

Patton made a face at the noises. “7:30. Everyone else was up at 7. I’m surprised you managed to sleep through them getting ready! They weren’t quiet, even though I told them you were still sleeping.”

“It’s fine, Pat. I’ve slept through worse,” Virgil said as he grabbed some clothes and headed for the shower. “Give me 15 minutes, and then we can head down to breakfast, okay?”

“Okay!” Patton replied just as the door shut.

As he reached to pet Skellington, he heard Virgil’s voice through the door. “Don’t pet him until you take your potion!”

With a sigh, Patton bypassed the cat, heading to his trunk instead.

Virgil came out of the bathroom 15 minutes later, fully dressed, minus his usually present hoodie. He threw it on before he pulled on his robes, smiling as he heard Patton giggling at Skellington’s purrs.

Grabbing his bag, he said, “Alright, Pat, let’s head to breakfast.”

Patton gave Skellington one last pat on the head before jumping up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Do you think there’ll be bacon?”

Virgil let out a laugh as they exited their dorm. The two headed up to the Great Hall, Virgil dragging behind a skipping Patton.

They entered the Great Hall, the various conversations continuing as they made their way to the Hufflepuff table, where Logan was already sitting. Virgil took his seat next to Patton, across from Logan, and scraped some scrambled eggs onto his plate.

“Good morning, my wonderful friends!” Roman announced his presence as he sat down across from Virgil, making the boy drop his fork with a clatter. He snorted as Virgil picked up his fork before serving himself some eggs.

Logan rolled his eyes at Roman. “It will be very interesting to see what Professor Dominic teaches us first. My best guess is that we will be learning about dark creatures before getting into practical application.”

“You didn’t ask your brother?” Roman was already halfway through his massive plate of food.

Virgil saw Logan huff and press his fingers to his temple.

“No,” Logan snapped, grabbing a piece of toast and a jar of jam. “My Hogwarts experience is entirely my own. My brother has a wandering mind at best and is feeble-minded at worst. I doubt he would know anyway.”

Patton spoke up to keep Roman from firing back. “Missy told me that most Professors stick to the basics for the first month of lessons.”

“I hate when teachers do that,” Roman told them as he grabbed a chocolate chip muffin. He peeled off the wrapper, tossing it onto his plate. “It sucks to have to relearn stuff.”

“I wholeheartedly agree.” Logan turned to Roman. “We are more than capable of remembering what we were taught in previous years.”

Roman threw his hands in the air in a ‘thank you’ gesture. “Why can’t the teachers get that?”

The two began to discuss muggle teachers. Patton and Virgil listened, giving each other confused looks every once in a while. Pureblood families tended to homeschool their children, so they had no idea what the other two were talking about.

“What’s geo-party?” Patton whispered to Virgil.

Logan spun toward them, making them jump. “Jeopardy is a muggle game show. Many muggle teachers use it to help students remember what they’ve learned in their previous lesson, as well as give them a healthy dose of competition.”

“Sometimes you win a pizza party,” Roman added, flashing a smile. “My class never lost.”

Logan let out a laugh. “Your class would’ve lost to mine.”

“Wanna bet, Specs?” Roman challenged, a smirk on his face.

Just before they could argue, Patton leapt to his feet. “Logan, we should probably be heading to our first class. It’s a quarter to 9, and we need to head up a floor.”

“And I need to be heading down,” Roman said as he stood up. He bowed to Patton, making him giggle. “Farewell!”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “You know we share our next class, right Princey?”

“Yes, yes, I know. And Princey? Really?” Roman tilted his head in thought. “I like it.”

“That was supposed to be-ugh, nevermind.” Virgil started to yank his sleeves down. “Let’s just get to class.”

“See you later, Panic at the Everywhere!” Roman shouted over his shoulder as he headed out of the Great Hall.

Patton let out a flurry of giggles but continued to walk as Virgil stopped and buried his face in his hands.

“He’s an idiot,” Logan said, giving Virgil a pat on the shoulder before walking faster to catch up with Patton.

Virgil started to follow but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around, his pulse quickening as he stared into a pair of yellow and brown eyes.

Devin and his goons smirked.

“It’s cute that you think your friends like you.” Devin circled around Virgil, his voice dripping with malice.  “Do they know you’re a Night? That you’re  _actually_ a Slytherin?”

“The hat-” Virgil started to protest, but was cut off by his brother throwing his head back and laughing. His goons chuckled alongside him.

“You  _actually_ think that a stupid hat knows what you are deep down?” Devin poked Virgil in the shoulder, making the younger boy flinch. “I lived with you. I know what you’re really like. If your friends knew what I know, they wouldn’t be your friends anymore.”

“Y-you don’t-you can’t know that,” Virgil stuttered, pulling his sleeves down. He was trembling in place, trying to breathe in the pattern that Logan had told him about.  _In for four, hold for seven, out for eight._

Devin rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. They won’t be your friends for long. Once they find other people they like better, they’ll ditch you in a heartbeat. But don’t worry. Family will always be there.”

He brushed past Virgil, heading for the doors, but before he left the hall, he paused and turned back to face Virgil. The nasty grin on his face made Virgil shrink into his robes. “Did you get Nana’s package yet? She said she was sending something  _really_ special.”

Devin’s laugh rang in Virgil’s ears long after his brother was gone.

_Package? Nana would never send me a package. Not if I wasn’t sorted into Slytherin. Unless-_

“Hey, Hufflepuff! Classes start in five minutes.” An older student said as they walked by, snapping Virgil out of his thoughts.

Virgil ran out of the Great Hall and up the stairs, getting to the DADA classroom with thirty seconds to spare. He slid into the empty seat between Patton and Logan, his breath coming in labored pants.

“Virgil, thank Merlin!” Patton whisper-yelled, giving Virgil a side hug.

Logan tilted his head in greeting. “I thought you may have gotten lost. You did seem a bit distracted during our tour of the castle on Saturday.”

Patton looked at Virgil, noticing how pale his skin was. “Virge, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Virgil snapped, pulling out  _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection (Volume 3)._

Patton and Logan exchanged concerned glances, but before they could ask any more questions, Professor Dominic slammed his hands on his desk. Half the class jumped, including Virgil.

“How many of you think that if you’d had the chance, you could’ve taken on Voldemort?” He asked, looking around the room. No one raised their hand. “Good answer. None of you could have lasted five seconds against him. But after this year…maybe you could last ten. Now, I’ll need a volunteer.”

Every Ravenclaw’s hand went up, along with a few Hufflepuffs. Dominic called on a boy named Noah. As Noah made his way to the front of the room, Dominic wheeled out a large terrarium filled with dirt.

“Professor, what is that?” Noah asked, getting closer to the glass box.

Dominic glanced at the rest of the class, giving them a wink. “I wouldn’t get too close if I were you. There are some dangerous creatures lurking about.”

Noah hesitated but stayed where he was. “We’re only first years. You can’t have anything too dangerous.”

“Boom! You’re dead.” Dominic spun the box around, revealing a small creature burrowed in the dirt. “In this classroom, you must assume that all creatures are deadly until proven otherwise. Getting caught off guard could kill you.”

“What’s so dangerous about it?” A Hufflepuff near the front asked. “He looks cute.”

“ _She_ is actually quite dangerous, even more so at this moment in time,” Dominic replied, before turning to the class. “Can anyone tell me why?”

Logan’s hand shot into the air. Professor Dominic’s eyes slid right over him, and a different Ravenclaw was called on.

“Gnomes are known to have razor-sharp teeth. Couple that with the fact that she is obviously pregnant, and you have an accident waiting to happen.” The girl explained as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

“10 points to-”

Patton gasped, drawing everyone’s attention. “She’s having a baby?”

“Gnomes breed really fast, Pat. That’s probably not a good thing.” Virgil said, pulling his hood slightly lower when he realized that the attention of the class had slid his way.

Dominic cleared his throat. “10 points to both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff for that insightful information. Now…”

Virgil tuned out Professor Dominic, his mind beginning to whirl into overdrive.

_I earned house points. That means that Patton has to stay my friend, right? But what if Devin is right? What if the hat made a mistake? If I get sent to Slytherin, they’ll all hate me for earning points for a different house. I’ll never make friends and-_

“Virge?” Patton nudged his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re alright? We can head to the Hospital Wing if you need a break.”

“Perhaps Dr. Picani will have a potion for your specific…dilemma.” Logan added, tapping a familiar 4-7-8 rhythm on his desk. “Of course, you would have to be comfortable telling him the issue.”

“I’m  _fine_ ,” Virgil insisted, crossing his arms and laying them on his desk. He rested his chin on them, ignoring the burning gazes coming from either side of him.

Just before they left class, Professor Dominic assigned them a one-foot essay on the positive uses of gnomes.

“These creatures aren’t all bad! It’s good for everyone to know both sides!” He called out as they filed out of the classroom.

“I will see the two of you at lunch,” Logan said before heading off to History of Magic.

Patton turned to Virgil, who refused to meet his eye. “Virge, I just want to say that you don’t have to tell me what happened. But if you want to tell me later, I’ll listen.”

Green eyes met brown as Virgil looked up, a nervous smile on his face. “Thanks, Pat.”

“Now come on, or we’ll be late for Herbology!” Patton grabbed Virgil’s hand and giggled as they raced down the stairs.

Virgil allowed himself to be tugged along, Patton’s laughter pushing the uncertainty of his sorting from his mind.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Self-deprecating thoughts, general anxiety, food mention

Patton and Virgil made it to Herbology with plenty of time to spare. Professor Jamahl gave them a smile as they walked in.

“Welcome,” he said, gesturing towards the table in the middle of the room. Twenty four sets of white flowers were lying on the table. “You can stand wherever, as long as there’s only one of you to a plant.”

Patton and Virgil sat down at their spots, making sure to save a place for Roman. Patton gushed over the flowers.

“They’re so pretty.” He reached out to touch one. 

Virgil moved lightning fast, grabbing Patton’s wrist. “Pat, no. We don’t know what this is. What if it’s poisonous?”

“As much as I hate to agree with Thundercloud over there, he’s right,” Roman said as he came in and sat down. Virgil gave him a glare as he released Patton. “My mom told me that there’s a lot of plants that look pretty, but they’re deadly to animals. It’s gotta be the same for wizard plants.”

_ See, he hates to agree with you. No one likes a Night. _

Patton poked Virgil in the side. Virgil glanced over, seeing the concerned look that was starting to become permanently engraved on his roommate’s face. Realizing that he’d been too quiet, he flashed Patton what was hopefully a convincing smile before looking down at the plant.

Jamahl closed the door, ready to start class. He stood at the head of the table and waited patiently for everyone to stop talking. It took a few moments, but when everyone was quiet he gestured to the plant on the table. “Can anyone tell me what this is?”

Roman raised his hand, shocked when he noticed his was the only one up.

“Roman?”

“It’s a valerian plant,” he said confidently.

Jamahl smiled. “Correct. 10 points to Gryffindor.”

Roman stood a little taller, flashing Patton and Virgil a grin.

“Does anyone know what sweet treat this is used in?” A bunch of hands flew up. Jamahl called on a Hufflepuff in the back corner.

“Treacle Fudge!”

“10 points to Hufflepuff, Ms. Halliway.”

Roman nudged Patton, accidentally pushing him into Virgil, who shot him a glare. “What’s Treacle fudge?”

“You haven’t had it? Oh, it’s a delightful treat. My mom makes her own batches. She adds a secret ingredient that makes them even better than the fudge at Honeydukes!” Patton whispered back, a big smile on his face.

Roman raised an eyebrow. Virgil tapped Patton on the wrist. “Pat, he doesn’t know what Honeydukes is. He’s a muggleborn.”

“I may be a muggleborn, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” Roman hissed back, anger flashing through his eyes. “It’s some sort of sweets shop, right?”

“Right!” Patton said as he turned to Roman, completely unaware of Virgil sinking into his robes.

_ Now he hates me. And if he hates me, that means Patton is gonna hate me, which means Logan is gonna- _

“Virgil?”

Patton’s voice snapped Virgil out of his thoughts. He glanced over, seeing Patton holding out a pair of small gardening shears.

Virgil took them, looking at his plant. “Um, what are we doing?”

“Can’t you pay attention? We’re supposed to be separating the root from the sprigs.” Roman held up the roots of his plant.

Patton frowned. “Ro, be nice. Virgil’s probably just worried about his first day.”

“We’re all worried about our first day,” Roman grumbled as he began to pluck the fresher sprigs off of his plant.

Patton ignored him and instead showed Virgil where to cut. The entire class fell quiet, content to work in silence.

With nothing to distract him, Virgil’s mind began to spiral.

_ Maybe Patton will be nice enough to pretend to be my friend. At least I won’t have to sit alone at lunch. And maybe he’ll get something cool in the mail. I don’t have anything to-Nana’s package. Merlin, what if it’s something horrible? What if I- _

“Does anyone have a song request?” Jamahl asked as he pulled out his guitar. “It’s too quiet in here.”

“Do you know any muggle songs?” Roman asked immediately.

Jamahl gave him a nod. “Muggle music is just as good as wizard music.”

“Can you play I’m Yours?”

The soothing sounds of Jamahl’s voice filled the room, providing an ample distraction for Virgil.

When all the plants had been separated, Jamahl continued his lecture, explaining that the roots and sprigs were used in different potions. After a while, he glanced at the clock.

“It looks like that’s all we have time for today. Enjoy your free time!”

The class began to file out of the room. Virgil gripped his robe between his fingers, trembling slightly.

_ How could I have forgotten about the package? It’s gotta be something terrible. Maybe if I don’t go to lunch, it’ll get delivered to my room instead. _

“I’m not feeling so good,” Virgil said, interrupting Roman and Patton’s conversation.

Patton put a hand to his forehead. “You don’t feel warm, but maybe you should go lie down for a while.”

“Yeah, I-I’m gonna do that.” Virgil began to head towards the stairs.

Patton caught up with him, matching his pace. “Why don’t you let me walk you back to-”

“I’ll be okay.” Virgil cursed himself for blurting out the words.

_ He’s gonna know, he’s gonna think something’s up, he- _

Patton gave Virgil a weird look before he said, “Okay. See you at lunch.” 

He gave Virgil a hug before skipping back to Roman. The two of them headed to the courtyard, sitting down in the shade at the base of the big tree.

“Are you sure Virgil’s okay?” Roman looked at Patton, stretching his arms above his head. “He looked like something was bothering him.” 

“He said he was fine. Maybe he just needs a nap.” Patton couldn’t shake the feeling that Virgil wasn’t okay, but he didn’t want to push.

Roman sighed next to Patton and waved a hand. Patton looked up to see Logan wandering over with Celeste in tow. Logan sat down in the grass next to Patton, pushing his glasses up his nose. Celeste laid on her side close to Roman, looking over at the boys.

“Where’s Virgil?” Logan looked to Patton for an answer.

Patton glanced towards the doors. “He said he wasn’t feeling great. I told him to try to take a nap.”

“He must not have gotten an ample amount of sleep last night.” Logan pulled out  _ The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1): Remastered _ . “Did he take the potion that Professor Dahlia gave him?”

Patton thought for a moment before shaking his head. “No, he didn’t.”

“It’s because he doesn’t trust potions.”

Three heads swiveled to face Celeste as she sat up.

“How do you know this?” Logan asked.

Celeste sighed and began to pick at the grass. “It’s ingrained in almost every pure-blooded wizarding family-or previously dark family. We’re taught that we can only trust the potions we’ve made ourselves. It’s leftover from the dark days when anyone could’ve been trying to kill you.”

“The dark days?” Roman scooched closer to the circle that was forming. “What dark days?”

Celeste shook her head and wrapped her arms around her knees. “I’d rather not talk about it. Ask one of them later.”

“I can inform you at lunch, Roman,” Logan said, before turning to Celeste. “I assume you will not be joining us?”

“The Slytherin table is where I belong.” She got up, dusting the grass off her robes. “I’ve got some friends I need to meet up with, but I’ll see you guys later.”

Celeste took off, leaving the three boys to worry about Virgil.

“I simply don’t understand why he wouldn’t trust Professor Dahlia’s potion. She is a teacher, someone we should trust.” Logan ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in all directions. Roman managed to stifle his laughter, but Patton burst out into a flurry of giggles. Logan glanced between the two of them. “ _ What? _ ”

Patton shuffled over and used his fingers as a comb to fix the problem. “Got it.”

“Thank you,” Logan said, his cheeks ever so slightly pink. He turned back to his book, flipping to the next page. “Now, is there a way we can get Virgil to trust the potion? Perhaps if one of us took it before he did, so he didn’t think it was poisoned?”

“What about you, Patton? The two of you share a room, and he seems to trust you more than either of us.” Roman leaned back against the tree, putting his hands behind his head.

“Unsurprising,” Logan mumbled.

Patton jumped in before Roman could take offense. “You’re both right. Before we go to sleep tonight, I’ll take a swig.”

“Now that we have that settled, what did you learn in Herbology?” Logan asked. “I would like to be ahead of the rest of my house if possible.”

The three of them shared their experiences. Roman explained how Professor Dahlia made cleaning your cauldron fun. Logan shared how Joan had charmed figurines to teach about the early life of Godric Gryffindor. And Patton let Roman know about the gnomes in DADA before telling Logan about the valerian plant in Herbology.

“So the roots are used in the Draught of Living Death and also the Draught of Peace?” Logan asked, writing notes on a piece of parchment he’d pulled out of his bag.

Patton gave him a nod before he noticed that the courtyard was beginning to clear out. “It looks like it must be lunchtime.”

After receiving agreement noises from the other two, Patton grabbed his bag and headed for the Great Hall. Logan and Roman struggled to keep up with him.

As Patton entered, his eyes zoned in on the Hufflepuff table, before bouncing around to the other tables.

Virgil was nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe he’s still asleep?” Roman suggested, gently guiding Patton to the table.

Logan sat down and began to put food on his plate, making sure none of it touched. “That’s plausible. I don’t think we should wake him. Patton, why don’t you eat and then take something to him?”

“I’m sure Headmaster Thomas won’t mind,” Roman added as he started to make a dent in his pile of food.

Patton bit his lip, glancing toward the door. “Okay.”

“What’s been your favorite class so far, Pocket Protector?” Roman asked Logan, smirking as Logan sent him a glare.

“You know, pocket protectors are actually valuable in an office. Or even a school.”

Patton tuned out their arguing, his thoughts on Virgil.

_ Maybe he’ll wake up and come up for lunch. But if he doesn’t, what should I bring him? I don’t even know what he likes. He had eggs for breakfast. I’ll bring him some rolls. And a banana. And maybe some ham. Everyone likes ham and cheese. _

“Pat, how many sandwiches are you gonna make there?”

Roman’s voice shook Patton out of his thoughts. He looked down to see that he’d managed to make about 4 sandwiches.

“I guess I went  _ ham _ on these.” He said, grinning as Roman cracked up and Logan groaned.

Roman looked over at Logan, a twinkle in his eye. “That was pretty  _ cheesy _ , Pat.”

Logan groaned again, putting his face in his hands.

“I’m gonna take a few of these to Virge.” Patton got up from his seat, giggling a little at Logan’s despair. “He’s gonna have to get up for Transfiguration soon anyway.”

“I’ll stay here with Microsoft Nerd. We’ve got Charms together.” Roman said, before cracking a smile. “I heard that Professor Brittany is quite  _ charming _ .”

Patton laughed, heading out of the Great Hall. He walked quickly down the stairs, not wanting to get in trouble for taking food.

Luckily, no one in the common room seemed to care. A few older students waved at him. He waved back, almost dropping the plate in his excitement.

“Virge?” He called out as he opened the door to their room.

Virgil was curled into a ball, his robes tossed on the ground. His hood was pulled low, but not low enough for Patton to miss the tear streaks on his face.

“Oh, Virge.” Patton’s heart broke for his friend. He didn’t know what was bothering him, but he was determined to find out and make Virgil believe that everything was going to be okay.

He reached out and gently touched Virgil’s shoulder, shaking him ever so slightly. “Virge? I brought food.”

Virgil stirred, rubbing his eyes. When he saw Patton standing in front of him, he curled up even more and rolled over.

Patton set the plate on the nightstand. He hesitated for a second, before sitting on the bed. “Do you want to talk?”

Virgil shook his head, not bothering to turn around.

“How about a hug?” Patton offered, stretching his arms wide.

There was a moment of stillness before Virgil launched himself into Patton’s arms. He tried to hold in his tears.

“I won’t ask what’s wrong.” Patton rubbed Virgil’s back in soothing circles. “But if you want to tell me-”

Those words broke the dam. Tears flowed out of Virgil’s eyes, and he let out a sob before he could stop himself. Patton’s arms immediately tightened around him, sending a warm feeling through Virgil’s chest.

“Did you want something to eat?” Patton gestured to the plate he’d left on the side table.

Virgil looked over, instantly feeling guilty. He’d missed lunch, and Patton had cared enough to bring him some food. Maybe...maybe Patton really was his friend.

_ No, you’re wrong. He’s just being nice. That’s what Hufflepuffs do, and that’s why you don’t belong here. _

“The house elves brought me something to eat,” Virgil lied smoothly. He hated that it came so naturally to him.

They stayed in the hug for a few minutes, before a bell chimed, letting them know that it was time for the next block of classes.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Verbal abuse, food mention, Deceit
> 
> Let me know if I missed anything!

As the bell chimed throughout the school, Logan and Roman got up from the Hufflepuff table and started heading up to the 3rd floor for Charms.

“You’ve read through the entire Charms book, right?” Roman held the door open for Logan.

Logan gave him a nod of thanks. “Do you mean  _A Standard Book of Spells_?”

Roman let out a heavy sigh. “Yes, Microsoft Nerd. Now did you read through it or not?”

Logan shot him a glare. “Yes, I read through it. I assume you didn’t, then?”

“All I was going to ask was if you had any idea what charm we going to start with,” Roman said, his heavy footsteps echoing in the corridor.

“I am not the Charms Professor,” Logan replied as he jumped over a sticky step. “But if I had to make an educated guess, I would say that we would start with a simple charm. Perhaps the Levitation charm.”

Roman perked up. “There’s a Levitation charm?”

“There’s a spell for almost anything in the wizarding world,” Logan explained, falling into step with Roman. “It makes doing things around the house so much easier.”

“Is there a dishwashing charm?” Roman asked as he followed Logan into the Charms classroom.

“There is!” Professor Brittany smiled at the two boys. “Unfortunately, it’s not a part of our curriculum for this year. If you’d like, I could teach it to you.”

“I don’t see the point,” Logan said as he grabbed the desk that was front and center. “He won’t be able to use magic at home until he’s of age.”

“Wait, what?” Roman asked, his eyes flicking up to Brittany’s face. “Is he right?”

“Yes. It’s part of the Statute of Secrecy. Wizards and witches can only use magic once they’re 17, and only in front of other witches and wizards, or their immediate family. You can get in a lot of trouble if you purposefully use magic in front of muggles.” She explained. Then she turned around and levitated a piece of chalk to write on the board.

Roman’s shoulders slumped as he headed toward Logan.

“Hey, Ro! Don’t sit next to the Ravenclaw, stick with your house!” Eric called from the back of the room. There was an empty seat next to him.

Without giving Logan a second glance, Roman headed to his roommate and sat down.

Brittany finished writing on the board. Eric groaned. “The feather-light charm. That’s supposed to be so easy a toddler could do it.”

Roman gulped, glancing down at the book. The charm seemed simple enough, but what if he couldn’t do it? What would his roommates think of him? Logan would definitely rub it in his face.

Another bell chimed, signaling the beginning of class. Brittany waved her wand, and small weights appeared in front of each student. Roman looked at the words etched into the metal. 3 kilos.

“I’d like all of you to pick this up, or attempt to pick this up before we work on the charm. Feel how heavy it is. That way you’ll know if you succeeded with the charm or not.” Brittany explained as she lifted the weight.

Roman slid his fingers underneath and lifted it slowly. It was pretty heavy, but he was able to get it fully off of the table. Looking to the front of the room, he saw Logan struggling to lift it.

He bit back a sigh of relief as a small smirk formed on his face. At least he was physically stronger than the nerd.

After a moment, Brittany began her lecture.

“This charm, when cast properly, can reduce the weight of an object to as little as 1% of its original weight. It is used in wizarding construction, and was likely used to aid the founders when they were building this very castle.”

“This is so boring,” Eric whispered to Roman. “Why can’t we learn something fun, like the fire-making spell? This is stuff I already know.”

“It has to be easy for the others. You know, the ones who don’t know it already,” Roman whispered back.

Eric huffed, but he stopped whispering, allowing Roman to turn his attention back to Brittany.

“…for this spell is simple,” she said, pulling out her wand. “You’re going to draw a square, but before you finish off the top, you’ll slash your wand through the center.”

She traced the movement slowly with her wand, before doing it at the right speed. “Go ahead and try.”

Seeing the wand movement in his mind’s eye, Roman followed her lead. Draw most of a box and slash through the center.

“Excellent!” She called out. Roman sat up and grinned. “10 points to Ravenclaw for Logan’s perfect demonstration.”

Roman slumped in his seat as his eyes flicked to Logan. Of course he would be the one to win the points.

Brittany went around the room, correcting the kids who didn’t quite understand the movement. Roman continued to practice, hoping that she would see and give him points.

No such luck. Instead, she gave him a thumbs up before heading back to the front of the room.

“Alright, now we’re going to work on the incantation. Please put your wands down for now. I promise that you’ll get to cast the charm at least once before you leave the classroom, but I don’t want any unexpected trips to the Hospital wing.”

Placing his wand down, Roman looked around the room. All of the Ravenclaws had done what they were told, but there were a few Gryffindors who were still holding their wands. Including Eric.

“You should probably put your wand down,” Roman said, glancing at his roommate.

Eric rolled his eyes. “Relax, I’m not going to hurt anyone.”

Before Roman could open his mouth to protest, Brittany began to speak again.

“The incantation is  _Perfusorius_.  _Per-foo-sor-ee-us_.” She said, her eyes looking around the room. “Go ahead and repeat after me.  _Perfusorius_.”

“ _Perfusorius_ ,” Roman repeated.

“ _Perfusorius_.”

A beam of yellow light shot out of Eric’s wand, hitting the leg of Logan’s table. The table tilted to the side, and he scrambled to grab his bag before he stumbled backwards.

Laughter erupted from the Gryffindors, despite the look that Brittany was giving them. Logan stood frozen, his face burning with embarrassment as he clung to his bag. His eyes scanned the room, landing on Roman. The Gryffindor had a hand over his mouth, but he was clearly laughing along with the rest of his house.

Brittany waved her wand, saying something that Roman didn’t catch. The table repaired itself, and Logan sat down again.

“Eric Shae,” Brittany said. Everyone turned to look at Eric. “I am switching you with Logan Page so that I can keep an eye on you.”

Eric grumbled, but quickly packed up his bag and headed to the front. He rammed his shoulder into Logan on the way up, nearly knocking the Ravenclaw to the floor.

“10 points from Gryffindor.”

“But-”

Eric’s protest was shut down as Brittany shot him a warning look. He closed his mouth and sat down.

Logan put his bag on the floor as he slid into the seat next to Roman.

“Are you okay?” Roman whispered, rolling his wand on the desk as Brittany continued to have the class enunciate the incantation.

“ _Perfusorius_ ,” Logan said, before turning to Roman. “Are you asking because you feel guilty? You were not the one to cast the charm.”

“Can you just answer the question, Pocket Protector?” Roman shook his head, a small smile on his face.

Logan nodded. “No harm was done to me. However, if that’s how the table reacted to Eric’s practice spell, it’ll be in more pieces than a crumbled cauldron cake by the time he’s through with it.”

Roman let out a laugh, before slapping a hand over his mouth. He was surprised that the nerd knew how to joke around. “There might be flames the way he was waving his wand around.”

Logan stifled a snort, the ghost of a smirk on his face. “ _Perfusorius_.”

“ _Perfusorius_. Is there a charm to put out fires?” Roman whispered, keeping an eye on Logan’s mouth.

The corners of his lips twitched upward but never made it to a full smile. “Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. I’m sure Professor Brittany knows it and could put out the inevitable fire.”

“Roman? Logan? Are you with us?” Brittany’s voice rang out.

Logan snapped to attention and gave her a nod. “Yes.”

She gave the two of them a soft smile before directing her gaze to the rest of the class. “We’re going to cast the charm now. You will not be graded on how well you do, but I want you to try your hardest.”

Roman turned to his weight and concentrated on making it as light as a feather. He drew his box, slashed his wand through the center, and said, “ _Perfusorius_.”

The weight glowed with a golden light. Roman went to pick it up and grinned. It definitely didn’t weigh 3 kilos. It wasn’t as light as a feather either, but it was lighter.

“Well done, Roman,” Logan said, a hint of smugness in his voice. Roman turned to see Logan balancing the weight on the tip of his pinky finger.

“Great job, you two! 10 points for both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw!” Brittany called out from where she was helping a different Gryffindor.

Roman shot her a grin, his chest filling with pride.

By the time the class ended, Roman had succeeded in making his weight as light as a feather, earning Gryffindor 5 more points. Logan gave him a calculated look and then a satisfied nod, but there was the tiniest of smiles on his face.

Transfiguration class flew by, with Professor Talyn walking them through the welcome seminar.

“I can’t believe that we didn’t learn anything,” Logan grumbled as they walked out of the classroom.

Roman let out a laugh. “We did learn a few things. I never knew that you liked cannolis!”

“Why would I not? It’s a crunchy pastry filled with cream. The cream is not too sweet, which makes for a satisfactory dessert.” Logan explained as they walked up the stairs.

They quickly parted ways, Logan heading to the Astronomy tower as Roman headed to the Gryffindor common room.

As soon as Roman had climbed through the portrait hole, he was shoved up against the wall by Eric.

“Why didn’t you back me up, Castle? I thought we were friends.” He asked, glaring a hole into Roman’s skull. “Isn’t your House supposed to be your family?”

Roman shoved Eric’s hands off of him. “I wasn’t going to argue with the teacher. I wanted to make a good first impression.”

“You sound like a Ravenclaw. Maybe you should go join your buddy in that House.”

With those words, Eric stomped off toward the stairs. Roman watched as his other roommates followed, leaving him alone in the common room.

He headed over to the couch, sitting down and pulling out some parchment and a quill. The room was filled with the sound of his scribbles as he wrote a letter to his parents, letting them know that he was alright and that he’d been sorted into Gryffindor.

After he finished the letter, he joined a game of Wizard’s Chess with one of the older students. He caught on fairly quickly and was able to beat them.

They’d been a good sport about it, saying, “Good job! The only friends that have beaten me so far have been Ravenclaws.”

Their words and the dinner bell rang in Roman’s ears. He couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe the Sorting Hat was wrong. Maybe he did belong in Ravenclaw.

He didn’t want to be like Logan.

Roman entered the Great Hall on autopilot, barely registering the Hufflepuff table as he sat down.

“Hi, Roman!” Patton greeted, a warm smile on his face.

Virgil began to scoop a few roasted carrots onto his plate but dropped the spoon when Skellington jumped onto the table next to him, a red letter in his mouth. The cat dumped it into Virgil’s lap before jumping into Patton’s outstretched arms.

“Virgil, you should leave,” Logan said, his eyes blown wide.

Roman looked up from devouring the mound of food on his plate. “That’s rude.”

“He really should go.”

“Why?!”

As they began to fight, Virgil started to panic. There was no doubt that it was a Howler.

_Did you get Nana’s package yet?_  Devin’s words rang in his ears as he sat frozen, eyes glued to the letter.

A hand shot out from his left and grabbed the letter. Before Patton could move, it exploded into flames, making him cry out in pain. His hand immediately turned red, but no one had time to ask if he was okay before Nana Night’s voice echoed through the Great Hall.

“ _VIRGIL ALEXANDER NIGHT!_ ”

There was a pause, allowing the entirety of the Great Hall to focus on a trembling Virgil.

“ _How **dare** you! Hufflepuff?! Of all the wrong choices…_” there was a heavy sigh and the squeak of a chair. “ _All of the hard work I’ve done to mold you into a respectable young man, someone worthy of the Night name-gone! The embarrassment I’ve had to endure! And this is how you thank me?! I told your parents that you needed discipline, but my son has apparently gone soft and, worse yet, **lied** to me! After all the support I’ve given him! Perhaps it’s not his fault. I wanted you to attend Durmstrang…you’re not worthy of their privilege, but they can fix any child. But no, your mother wanted to keep you boys together. And now I hear from my second favorite grandson that you’re hanging around a filthy MUDBLOOD?! Are you trying to ruin our reputation, you selfish brat?! What of your brothers? How will they find respectable wives to carry on our name? How dare you try to ruin our family! From the moment you were born, I just knew that you were going to be a bad seed! Got it from that horrid woman you call a mother!_”

The screeching seemed to stop, and the letter seemed to be finished until the voice returned, this time sounding sweet and loving. “ _No matter, my sweet. This can all be fixed. Because I love your father, I’m willing to turn a blind eye. For now. You better shape up. If Devin informs me of any more of this troubling behavior…well I’ll have to cut you all off. Keep your family in mind, my dear. I got your father his comfy job, and I can take it away. I won’t tolerate filth._ ”

The silence that followed stretched for almost a full minute before Virgil bolted from the Great Hall, leaving Patton, Logan, and Roman behind.

The three boys shared a look before they ran after him.

“Virgil?” Patton called as soon as they were in the hallway.

Logan heard a sniffle and followed the noise, finding Virgil in a small alcove next to a suit of armor. “He’s over here.”

Roman appeared next, and then Patton, who nearly ran Logan over as he ran to his roommate. “Virgil? Can I hug you?”

“Why?” He choked out between sobs. “D-Don’t you know what my-who my family is?”

“I don’t care who your family is. I care who you are, and you are not your family.” Determination burned in Patton’s eyes.

Logan nodded as he knelt down. “Just look at Remy and myself. The two of us are very different.”

“And you’re not worthless,” Roman chimed in as he sat in front of Virgil.

Virgil looked at him through his bangs. “Y-you don’t think I’m worthless?”

“Not at all. No one is worthless.” Leaning forward, Roman brushed the bangs out of Virgil’s teary eyes. “I promise you that.”

Virgil shrank backwards, his gaze fixated over Roman’s shoulder.

“You can’t promise him that. You barely know him.” A voice hissed from behind them.

Turning, Roman saw Devin standing there, a smirk on his face.

“I may not know him, but I know that everyone has something to deliver to the world,” Roman said as he stood tall, blocking Devin from Virgil’s view.

Logan’s shoulder brushed against Roman’s as he got to his feet. “Everyone has worth.”

“Virgil doesn’t have to be part of your family,” Patton snapped as he jumped up. Fire burned in his eyes as he stared Devin down. “We’re his family now.”

A flash of emotion flickered through Devin’s eyes, but none of them could place it. He balled up his fists at his sides and gave the three of them a glare.

“Just you wait, Virgil. Nana is going to hear about this.” Devin spit out, before he spun around and headed back to the Great Hall.

Hearing a choked back sob, they all turned back to Virgil. Before anyone could say anything, they heard faint yelling from the end of the hall. Too faint to make anything out, but judging by the tone, someone was definitely getting chewed out.

Footsteps came closer, and Roman whirled around, ready to fight. Logan and Patton followed his lead, only to find an older Slytherin standing in front of them.

“P?” Virgil pushed through his friends, his body still shaking. The Slytherin opened his arms, and Virgil launched himself into them.

“I can’t believe he did that to you,” the boy said, wrapping his arms tightly around Virgil. “I caught him just before he got back in the Great Hall and told him exactly what I thought of his stunt.”

The boy buried his face in Virgil’s hair.

After a moment, Roman cleared his throat. “Not to sound rude, but who are you?”

“I’m Preston.” The Slytherin said, getting confused looks in return. “Preston Night.”

Realization dawned on all of their faces, making Preston laugh.

“All right, you seem like you’re in good hands with your friends. I’m gonna go finish eating.” Preston shot them finger guns and left.

Virgil shuffled his feet, staring at the floor. “Th-thank you. For protecting me from Devin.”

“That’s what friends are for!” Patton gave him a beaming smile. Logan and Roman nodded their agreement behind him.

Virgil’s head snapped up, his gaze locking on Patton. “You still-you want to be my friends?”

“Of course we do!” Patton moved to hug Virgil but stopped short. “Can I hug you?”

Getting a nod of approval, Patton wrapped his arms around Virgil. Roman followed suit immediately.

“Come on, Lo, group hug!” Patton shuffled, making room for the Ravenclaw.

Sighing, Logan tentatively stepped forward, letting out a yelp as Patton and Roman pulled him into the hug.

“Thank you.” Virgil’s voice trembled, but there was a smile on his face.

The boys stood there in each other’s embrace until the bell rang, signaling dinner was over.

“Shit, we didn’t eat.”

Patton gasped as he pulled back, breaking the hug. “Virgil! Language!”

“Actually…” Roman started, getting everyone’s attention. He opened up his bag to reveal that it was full of food. “I have enough for the four of us. I grabbed it while…you know.”

After a beat of silence, Virgil gestured toward the food. “What are you guys waiting for? I’m starving.”

The four of them shared a picnic in the alcove before heading back to their respective common rooms. They all fell asleep with a smile.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Manipulative Deceit, almost anxiety attack

Virgil had felt reassured, even loved that night. But, of course, that good feeling couldn’t last. Not for him.

Weeks went by, and Virgil struggled to keep it together. Everyone had said that they wanted to be his friend, but it didn’t seem like it. Roman hardly ever ate at with them anymore, choosing to eat with his roommates at the Gryffindor table instead. Logan did eat with them, but more often than not his face was buried in a book.

That left Patton to babble on about whatever they’d learned that day while Virgil picked at his food.

He couldn’t help but feel as though his so-called friends, minus Patton, had ditched him.

He began to grow irritable. Even sitting in front of the fireplace in the common room petting Skellington didn’t help.

Patton tried to reassure him that everything was going to work itself out. Virgil didn’t know how anyone could be so positive when they had no idea what was going to happen in the future. Patton was simply too sweet for his own good.

Virgil couldn’t wait for Christmas break. His family might be terrible, but at least he knew their true intentions.

The first big snowfall came, and Patton begged Virgil to come join him in a snowball fight. Virgil waved him off, but not before seeing the sad look on Patton’s face. He knew it wouldn’t last long. Patton would go outside and find someone to join him, someone better. The sooner Patton dropped the nice act, the better it would be for the both of them.

He watched from the window as Patton managed to get a few other first years to join him. Seeing a few kids sporting Gryffindor scarves, Virgil looked a little closer. He saw Patton get tackled to the ground by a Gryffindor.

When the kid looked up, Virgil saw that it was Roman.

Roman, laughing and playing with Patton as though he’d never left their group.

Virgil’s heart clenched in his chest as he jumped off the window seat and hurried to his room. He began packing his trunk for the trip home, making sure everything was neat and tidy. His mother would expect that.

By the time Patton came back in, Virgil was already fully packed.

“That was so much fun!” The bubbly Puff exclaimed as he entered the room. He started to peel off his wet jacket, turning to Virgil. “What did you do?”

“Packed.” Virgil deadpanned, waving a hand towards his trunk.

Patton looked to his own trunk. A few pieces of clothing hung out and even more were scattered around the floor in front of his bed.

“Yeah, I should probably do that.” He said, a faint blush on his cheeks. “You don’t mind if I pack right now do you? If you’d rather be alone-”

“Pat, it’s fine,” Virgil insisted, trying not to let Patton see how upset he actually was. “I’m just gonna read ahead in the potions book anyway.”

Patton giggled as he started to pack. “I see Logan’s rubbing off on you.”

The corner of Virgil’s mouth quirked up for just a moment before he realized.

_Am I really acting like Logan? I know Patton likes Logan and Roman, so maybe I’m acting like them? I can’t do that. I can’t trick him._

He lost himself in the potions book, trying to read about their next assignment. It looked like if you powdered the asphodel root wrong, it could really mess up your potion. There was no way he wanted to mess that up.

The rest of the night passed by quietly. Patton hummed to himself as he packed. Virgil tried desperately to keep reading the potions book, but his thoughts continued to swirl.

As soon as Patton had finished packing, he changed into his pajamas and bid Virgil good night.

Virgil tossed and turned for hours before pulling the tiny vial of Dreaming Draught from his bedside drawer. He’d refused to take it this whole time, but…one drop couldn’t hurt.

He placed a drop on his tongue as he tossed the vial back into the drawer. After a few minutes, he fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning was hectic compared to the previous night. Virgil packed up his last minute things before helping Patton with his. The two of them nearly missed the train, hopping on just as they were making last calls.

Patton grabbed Virgil by the hand, keeping him in an iron grip as he walked along the train. He peered into every compartment, not stopping until he found Logan.

Logan was sitting in the compartment where he and Virgil had first met. Agatha sat on his lap, purring as he stroked her.

“Where’s Roman?” Patton asked, tilting his head to the side and releasing Virgil. He looked like a lost puppy.

Logan shrugged, barely glancing at the two of them. “He said something about Eric saving him a seat.”

“Oh,” Patton deflated slightly. “That’s okay, we still have the three of us!”

“Actually, Pat, I’m gonna go sit with my brothers,” Virgil said, unable to look him in the eye. He already knew that Patton would be sad that he was leaving, but he couldn’t stay. He knew what would happen if he did. “Devin’s already gotten the family on thin ice. But if I-”

Patton pulled him into a hug. “Virge, it’s okay. Go ahead. I’ll hang out with Logan and Agatha!”

Agatha mewed happily, jumping from Logan’s lap into Patton’s arms. Virgil headed back down the aisle to find his brothers, hearing Patton’s laughter echo down the aisle. It gave him a burning feeling in his gut.

A door to his left slid open, making him jump. Devin chuckled as he tugged Virgil in. Preston gave his baby brother a smile, taking his trunk and putting it away.

“You do know who’s all coming to Christmas, right?” Devin asked, his brown and yellow eyes boring into Virgil. “Our house is going to be full of people.”

Virgil instantly began to shrink into his hoodie. He hated having such a big family. Too many people in the house made him extremely uncomfortable, and Devin knew that. That would be why his yellow eye was twinkling with glee.

Preston cleared his throat, glaring down at Devin. “It’s a good thing that we have our own rooms to escape to if we need it.”

“I don’t know about that,” Devin continued, ignoring the daggers Preston was sending his way. “Nana is probably going to want to hear all about your first year.”

The blood in Virgil’s veins turned to ice. He could feel the color drain from his face.

_How could he forget that Nana would be at Christmas?_

“Virgil, I need you to breathe.” Preston’s voice floated into his brain.

Taking shaky breaths, Virgil sat down on the bench. Preston sat next to him and began rubbing his back.

“Devin, why don’t you catch up on your Herbology homework? I know you haven’t done it.” Preston looked to Virgil. “Do you need anything? I can run and get you some sweets if you want.”

“Can I come with?” Virgil asked, thankful that his voice had stopped shaking.

Preston nodded and headed out of the compartment, Virgil close behind him. The two headed down to the back of the train to find the trolley.

Just before they reached it, Remy popped out of a compartment. He flashed Virgil a grin, moving the shades he was wearing into his hair. “What’s new, my little brother’s friend?”

Preston instinctively moved in front of Virgil, blocking him from view. “We’re getting him some sweets, he was getting pretty close to-”

Virgil looked up as Preston’s words died off. His brother’s face was flushed, something Virgil had never seen.

“Close to…” Remy repeated, a smirk on his face.

Clearing his throat, Preston finished his sentence. “Um, close to an anxiety attack.”

The smirk on Remy’s face vanished as he looked at Virgil with real concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

“It’s better when I’m not with Devin,” Virgil said quietly, glancing at the trolley.

Remy’s jaw twitched. “Why don’t you head over and get some sweets? I’m gonna talk to Pres for a second.”

“It’s  _Preston_ , and how do you know my name?”

Virgil ignored them, choosing to get his sweets instead. Chocolate frogs had always been his favorite, even if you didn’t always have a chance to eat them. He bought four before he turned back to Preston.

“…just let me know.” Remy was saying as Virgil came back. The older boy winked at Preston before sauntering down the hall.

“I don’t know how he and Logan are related,” Virgil said with a mouth full of frog. He passed one to Preston as they headed back to the compartment.

“No idea…”

When they got back to the compartment, Devin was fully immersed in his homework. Virgil pulled out his History of Magic textbook and finished the chapter that Professor Joan had assigned.

As the train pulled into the station, Virgil felt his pulse thundering in his ears. Devin sent him an evil look as he grabbed his trunk and headed to the platform.

“Virgil?” Preston laid a hand on Virgil’s shoulder, immediately pulling back as Virgil jumped. “If you need an escape, let me know, okay?”

Virgil nodded as he pulled up his hood, sinking into the familiar fabric. Preston grabbed both of their trunks, and they stepped off onto the platform.

Devin was already standing with their parents who hovered on the edge of the crowd. Mr. Night was tapping his dress shoes on the floor, checking his watch while Mrs. Night scanned the crowd for her other sons, her face brightening when she finally spotted them. She waved them over excitedly, stopping only when her husband turned towards her.

The two boys made their way over. Virgil trudged along behind Preston, who was taking purposeful strides.

“Virgil, Preston.” Mr. Night said, nodding to each son in turn before he turned back to his watch.

Mrs. Night pulled Virgil into a small hug and reached over to ruffle Preston’s hair. “It’s been so quiet at the house with all of you gone.”

“It’s been a blessing.” Mr. Night mumbled as he stalked off to the Floo Network.

The boys followed close behind, their mother at the back of their line. As they entered the fireplace, Virgil heard her whisper, “I’m glad you’re all home.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Manipulative deceit, manipulative family, anxious thoughts, crying, let me know if there are others!

After the Nights arrived home their trunks were sent to their rooms and they were put to work. Seeing as their family was hosting at their manor, there was a lot to be done.

“Virgil, help your mother in the kitchen.” Mr. Night commanded, before turning to his other sons. “You two are with me.”

As he nodded at his father’s retreating figure, Virgil followed his mother into the kitchen. She tossed him an apron. “I’ve already made all the cookies. We just have to decorate them.”

Virgil and his mother spent the next few days decorating and prepping the dishes for Christmas day. Every once in a while, Devin would sneak by the kitchen and steal a cookie before taking off.

“Virgil! Leave some for the rest of the family!” Mrs. Night scolded as she turned around to find a few more missing.

Knowing it was useless to argue, Virgil cast his eyes to the floor. “Sorry, Mother.”

With a sigh, she waved a hand. “That’s all the help I need from you for today.”

After hanging up his apron, Virgil headed up to his room. He passed Preston’s room and heard classical music pouring out. No noise came from Devin’s room, which usually meant he was planning something.

Hurrying down the hall, Virgil entered his room.

It didn’t matter to him that he had the smallest bedroom in the house, even smaller than the guest bedrooms. To him, it felt cozy.

He’d decorated the walls with a few posters of the bands he liked, such as the Weird Sisters and the Phoenix Fyres. Combine that with the black comforter on his bed and the makeup he would occasionally wear, and he definitely fit the bill of what Logan and Roman would call an emo.

As soon as the thoughts of Roman filled his head, he wanted to scream. They’d all told him they wanted to be his friends. Patton had been the only one who still talked to him regularly. Logan was always too busy with schoolwork.

And Roman. The traitor. He’d ditched them for his stupid roommates. The ones who still teased him about the Howler.

Rolling onto his bed, Virgil buried his face in a pillow and screamed.

He should’ve known his friends wouldn’t last long. At least he still had Patton.

_For now._

A knock on his door made him jump. Sitting up, he wiped his eyes quickly and called out in a shaky voice, “Come in.”

_When had he started crying?_

Preston entered, making sure to shut the door before he sat down in Virgil’s desk chair. “Virgil, are you okay? I thought I heard muffled screaming through the wall, but if I’m wrong-”

“No, you-you’re right.” Virgil grabbed a pillow and stuck it in his lap. “Just…things aren’t going well with, um, school, and-”

“Look,” Preston said in a hushed tone, running a hand through his hair. “I know you’re still friends with them, even after what Nana said. And they’re good people, you deserve to have-”

“They ditched me.” Virgil blurted out, feeling his throat close up. He squeezed the pillow between his fingers. As he pushed back the tears, he continued. “Patton’s still my friend, but it’s probably because he’s my roommate. Logan hardly talks to either of us anymore, and Roman-Roman doesn’t hang out with us at all. Actually, that’s not true, he joined the snowball fight with Patton, so I think they’re hanging out, but-”

Virgil choked on his words as he started to cry. Frustrated, he wiped the tears away. His father’s words rang in his ears.

_Boys shouldn’t cry._

The chair squeaked as Preston moved toward his little brother. “Virgil-”

The door burst open, revealing Devin. “Dinner’s ready,” he announced, before leaving the room once more.

Virgil looked up at his brother, hopeful.

“We should head down,” Preston told him, squeezing his shoulder before slipping on the mask he always wore around the family.

“You go, I’ll be down in just a moment.”

Virgil darted to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face.

_Your own brother won’t even stay._

Once he was satisfied that he didn’t look like he’d been crying, Virgil headed downstairs, slipping into the role of the perfect Night son. He only spoke when spoken to and passed the dishes along when it was needed.

“Boys, I wanted to inform you about my job,” Mr. Night said as he buttered a roll.

Fork halfway to his mouth, Virgil froze.

_He got fired, and it’s all my fault. They’re going to kick me out of the house. I’ll be homeless. What if Hogwarts doesn’t let me back in? What if-_

“I received a promotion.” Mr. Night said, a rare smile on his face. “I am now Head Obliviator.”

“Jonathan, that’s wonderful news!” Mrs. Night cried out, clearing her throat when her husband gave her a look. “I am glad to hear of such an announcement so close to Christmas.”

“I will be gone more often, but I did receive a pay increase. Perhaps we can go on a trip this summer, all of us.”

Hearing this, Virgil perked up. It was almost always his mother and father who went on a trip. They always left him and his brothers with Nana.

“You may speak if any of you have anything to say.” Mr. Night looked directly at Virgil.

“It truly is wonderful news, Father,” he said, taking care to choose his words properly. “I do hope that we get to go on a trip together.”

“Yes, it would be so much fun to spend some time together,” Devin jumped in, smirking at Virgil.

Preston cleared his throat, getting the attention of the room. “I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we’re proud, Father.”

“Thank you, boys. You may be excused. Your mother will clean up.”

Virgil left the table and headed back up to his room. He wrote a short letter to Patton, before deciding not to send it along. He couldn’t risk Skellington coming back on Christmas day. Nana could see the letter, and she would know that he didn’t drop his friends. That is, if Patton would even reply. If he still had friends at all.

He was surprised Devin hadn’t told her already.

Skellington mewed on his bed, pawing at a pillow. Virgil took the hint and changed before crawling into bed. It took quite a while, but eventually he fell into a fitful sleep.

The next day was Christmas Eve. It didn’t feel any different than the previous day, other than the fact that they were allowed to hang up their stockings on the fireplace.

“I hope you’ve all been good,” Mrs. Night teased. “You wouldn’t want lumps of coal.”

“Mother, you do know we’re all too old to believe in Saint Nick. He’s a myth.” Devin rolled his eyes, making sure she couldn’t see.

“Is he?” She asked, a soft smile on her face. “Perhaps he’s just an old wizard. Who else could visit every home in one night?”

“Ever heard of a time turner?” Preston shot a grin to Devin. “He could very well be real.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Mr. Night said from the couch.

Virgil watched Preston’s smile fall. The eldest Night mechanically hung up his stocking before helping Virgil.

“I like your time turner theory,” Virgil whispered low enough that only Preston would hear.

“I knew you would.” Preston whispered back with a small smile.

When they’d finished with their stockings, the three boys sat on the floor facing their parents.

“As per tradition, we will give each of you your gift,” Mr. Night said as Mrs. Night handed each of the boys a present. “You may open them.”

Virgil carefully unwrapped his present, trying to save the wrapping paper. He heard ripping noises from his left and knew that Devin had dug into the present..

When he finally had it unwrapped, he saw it was a clothing box. He carefully opened it to find a set of green dress robes.

Slytherin green.

“We would like you to wear these tomorrow.” Mr. Night told his sons. “It will make a good impression on Mother.”

Virgil could feel his face turn red. It was his fault that they had to make a good impression. If he’d only been sorted into Slytherin…

“Well, I think it’s a good time to call it a night and head to bed,” Preston’s voice broke through Virgil’s thoughts. “That will allow us to get our rest and still be up bright and early.”

“That’s an excellent idea, Preston.” Mrs. Night praised as she headed over to her boys. She gave Virgil a kiss on the forehead, reached up and ruffled Preston’s hair, and pulled Devin into a quick hug. “Good night.”

“Good night, Mother. Good night, Father.” The boys chorused before heading up to their rooms, leaving their parents to themselves.

* * *

The bottle of whiskey clinked against his glass as Mr. Night poured himself a drink. “You spoil them.”

“They’re my children, of course I do.” Mrs. Night began to rearrange the ornaments. “What’s the harm? You’ve taught them how to act in front of your mother.”

“The harm is if they slip up.” Mr. Night sighed, leaning back against the couch. “At least now that I’ve been promoted, Mother cannot get me fired.”

Satisfied, Mrs. Night sat down next to her husband, kissing him on the cheek. “I’ll miss your stubble.”

“It’ll grow back.” Finished with his whiskey, Mr. Night put his glass on the table. “Merry Christmas Eve, Anna.”

“Merry Christmas Eve, Jonathan.”

Mrs. Night headed upstairs. She checked on Virgil, knowing that the boy had frequent nightmares. Seeing that he was asleep and that his breathing was normal, she headed off to bed herself.

* * *

The next morning, Virgil woke up to knocking on his door. Preston poked his head in, his hair still dripping.

“Wakey wakey, family and sadness,” he whispered, making Virgil giggle. “The big bathroom is free.”

“No it’s not!” Devin yelled as he ran past Virgil’s door. Preston rolled his eyes.

Virgil shrugged, climbing out of bed. “I like the smaller one better anyway.”

“If you’re sure.” Preston said, leaving the room at Virgil’s nod.

After his shower, Virgil slid on his dress robes and fixed his hair. The brown bangs hung low over his face, something Nana wouldn’t like. His eyes lingered on his scissors for a moment before he shook his head.

At least they weren’t purple or anything.

As soon as Virgil had reached the staircase, the doorbell rang. He hurried down the steps. The only one who would be here this early would be Nana.

“Mother, please come in. May I take your coat?” Mrs. Night asked.

Nana gave her a nod. “Of course you may. How are you, Anna? Keeping the house clean I hope.”

“Yes, of course.” Mrs. Night nodded as she hung the fur coat up in the closet.

Nana pursed her lips. “Such a shame that the windowsills get dirty so fast.”

Mrs. Night’s eyes darted to the windowsill. Despite not seeing any dirt, she ran off to find a rag.

Leaving Virgil alone with Nana.

“Virgil, come here. Let me take a good look at you.” Her tone was calm and her smile was inviting, but Virgil knew it was all a facade.

Taking a deep breath, he walked over and stood in front of her. “It is nice to see you, Nana.”

“You should say ‘it is a  _pleasure_ ,’” she corrected. She brought a hand up, brushing Virgil’s bangs aside to see his face. “These are much too long. You need a haircut.”

“Yes, Nana.”

Her hands moved to his shoulders, encasing Virgil in her grip. “I hope your time at Hogwarts has been going well?”

Nana raised an eyebrow, waiting for Virgil’s answer.

“I am doing well in my studies,” he answered, hoping she wouldn’t ask about the others. “I have earned a total of 50 points for my house so far, and I haven’t lost any.”

Nana Night hummed disapprovingly. “A waste for Slytherin.” she muttered as she looked Virgil over. “Have you made friends?”

It took everything Virgil had to not shiver under her icy stare. “My roommate is friendly, and he is a pureblood.”

Virgil looked down. Nana was quick to put a fingernail under his chin and tilt his gaze back up to meet hers. “And you’ve dropped the mudblood?”

“Nana, my deepest apologies! I was not aware that you had arrived.” Preston said as he swept into the room. Virgil turned and gave him a grateful look as he smoothly escaped Nana Night’s grip.

Nana’s lips curled into a smile. “Preston, wonderful to see you, boy. It appears as though you’ll be the tallest in the family soon.”

“An honor I will hold most dear.” He maneuvered around Virgil, linking his arm through Nana’s. “Will you allow me to lead you into the parlor?”

“I shall,” she said, holding tightly to Preston’s arm. Virgil tried to sneak away but didn’t get very far. Nana had turned her gaze back toward Virgil, crooking her finger at him. The heavily ringed finger glittered in the candle light, the snake head moving in a way that seemed to signal his doom. “Oh, Virgil, please accompany us. We haven’t finished speaking.”

Feeling a bundle of nerves in his stomach, Virgil reluctantly followed them into the living room. Preston sat down with Nana on the loveseat, leaving the armchair open for Virgil, who gave him another grateful look.

“Preston, my dear, how is your third year going? What are your electives?” Nana inquired pointedly, her gaze still on Virgil.

Preston cleared his throat. “I chose Magical Languages and Muggle Studies.”

“Pardon me? Muggle Studies? What made you choose that?” She asked, her tone sickeningly sweet.

“They have a saying. ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ If I learn about the muggles, I will not have a weakness for them to exploit. I can blend in with them if necessary, and extract information from the masses.” Preston replied smoothly, carefully watching her reaction. Her eyes glittered with a gleeful malice.

“Already planning ahead,” she crooned, pinching his cheek. Preston held back a wince as the sharp nails dug into his flesh. “How clever of you, boy. You had me worried that you wished to consort with mudbloods and their ilk, same as your brother.”

Her tone turned disapproving as she turned to Virgil again.

Virgil squirmed in his seat under her piercing look. He knew that Preston’s words were false. He was fascinated with Muggle culture and had done his best to keep it a secret. The only reason Virgil knew was that he’d walked in on Preston watching a YouTube video once. He’d promised to keep Preston’s secret, seeing no need to betray his brother. Preston may have pulled pranks, but he made sure that Virgil never got hurt.

“Nana, it is an absolute pleasure to have you with us today.” Devin’s voice dripped with a mild smugness as he entered the room. He took a seat on the couch, flashing her a smile.

Nana returned the smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Devin, my precious boy. I trust that the Slytherin house is much better with you in it.”

Devin gave her a nod. “Of course. I’ve won my house many points. It’s just too bad that Virgil couldn’t assist us in winning the house cup.”

The blood in Virgil’s veins turned to ice as Nana Night nodded in agreement. The smile she gave him was anything but friendly, and it shook him to his core.

“Ah, yes. How is the…what was it? The Hufflepuff House?” She asked, her gaze fixated on him.

He tried not to squirm in his seat. “Yes, Nana. The Hufflepuff house is alright.”

“Such a shame you were placed there instead of your rightful place in Slytherin. I attempted to talk to the Headmaster, but he has yet to act with common sense.” She pursed her lips. “Be sure to speak with him when you return from Christmas break. If the student himself asks, perhaps he will listen.”

Virgil nodded, wishing that he’d worn his hoodie beneath his dress robes. At least he’d have a familiar weight to help him get through the day.

Another knock on the door had Virgil springing out of his chair. He could get away from Nana under the guise of being polite.

Opening the door, he was greeted with his cousin Natalia. The three-year-old flashed him a bright smile, holding up her arms to him. He scooped her up before taking a step back, allowing his Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Henry to enter.

“She must really like you, Virgil,” Aunt Evelyn said, a fake smile plastered on her face. “She’s been going through a phase lately and won’t let anyone hold her.”

“V!” Natalia cried, smacking her hands on either side of Virgil’s face.

Henry opened his mouth to chide her, but Virgil let out a small huff of laughter. “Hello, Nat.”

Giggles erupted from her mouth as she continued to squish Virgil’s face.

“Evelyn! Henry! How wonderful to see you!” Mrs. Night said as she re-entered the foyer. “Nana has already arrived. She’s in the parlor with Preston and Devin.”

Over the next hour, the rest of the Night family arrived. Virgil was able to busy himself with keeping Natalia occupied instead of talking to the others. He insisted that he didn’t mind, which caused his Aunt Evelyn to let out a sigh of relief.

“If you get tired of her, let us know.” Uncle Henry had told him as Virgil bounced her on his lap.

Virgil nodded slightly. “I will.”

As the clock struck noon, Mrs. Night called the family in for lunch. Everyone filed around the table, which had been magically extended for the occasion. Aunt Evelyn had attempted to take Natalia from Virgil, but she’d started wailing as soon as she was lifted from his arms.

“Thank goodness that terrible noise has ceased. Perhaps it’s best left at home if one cannot control it.” Nana Night simply trailed her gaze over Evelyn. Evelyn pressed her mouth into a thin line, choosing to sit to the right of her daughter as Virgil sat to her left.

“It is such a pleasure to be with my family on Christmas.” Nana lifted her glass. “To the Night family. May we always remember our roots.”

“To the Night family,” Virgil mumbled, raising his glass.

Natalia eyed him curiously before lifting up her sippy cup, making everyone laugh.

The afternoon passed in a blur, and before Virgil knew it all of his cousins had gone home. Natalia had cried when they left, but he’d waved at her from the window until they’d gone.

Of course, that left him with no buffer and Nana was still in the manor.

“Boys?”

Virgil turned from the window.

In front of Nana sat three gift bags. All of them were green with silver tissue paper.

“These gifts were wrapped in August. I would never have guessed you would not be placed with your brothers.” Nana sniffed dismissively. “Well. Goals for the new year, I suppose. Wouldn’t you agree, Virgil?”

Virgil nodded, sitting on the floor at her feet. Devin and Preston followed suit.

She handed out the gifts and sat backwards, gesturing for them to open them. At the same time, the boys pulled out the wrapping paper.

Virgil held a portrait of Nana in his hands. As he watched, she walked through his brothers’ frames, before returning to his.

“I know I will not live forever. This way I will be able to keep an eye on you, even after I’m gone.” Nana smiled. “And of course, I have a connected frame at home.”

“Boys, what do you say?” Mr. Night prompted.

“Thank you.” They chorused together.

Nana nodded to them, before getting to her feet. “It is getting late. I will be leaving now. Take better care of my grandchildren, would you Johnathan?”

She gave her son a pat on the cheek and then, with a loud CRACK, she was gone.

Preston’s shoulders immediately slouched as he let go of his proper posture while Virgil swiped his bangs directly in front of his face. Devin grabbed his picture and thundered up the stairs.

“Thank goodness that’s over,” Mrs. Night mumbled as she sank down onto the couch.

Mr. Night sat next to her. With a wave of his wand, a glass of whiskey appeared. “Boys, you can head upstairs if you’d like.”

Grabbing  _his_ picture, Virgil darted up to his room. He flipped it, hanging it up so that the frame faced the wall.

He never thought he’d dread heading back to school, but Nana Night always had a way of surprising him, didn’t she? He fell asleep, feeling her eyes bore into him even though she faced the wall.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Manipulative Deceit, crying, there’s a cat

The holidays came to a close quicker than Patton would’ve hoped. Despite this, he was bouncing off the walls the day they left to go back to school. He’d get to see his friends again. They could ride together on the train!

As soon as the Hogwarts Express came into view, Patton hugged his parents goodbye. He grabbed his trunk and bounded up the steps, heading towards the back of the train. Hopefully his friends were already in their compartment. He couldn’t wait to give them their Christmas presents!

Through the glass door, he could see Logan with his nose buried in a book. He slid the door open, bouncing on his toes. “Hi Logan! It’s me, Patton!”

“Hello Patton.” The corners of Logan’s mouth twitched up into a smile. “Did you enjoy your holidays?”

“Yeah! I had so much fun! My sisters and I made some snowpeople and went sledding and had some hot cocoa!” The words tumbled out of his mouth all in one breath.

Logan shook his head, constantly amazed by the amount of energy one person could have. “Do you need assistance with your trunk?”

“I think I got it.” His tone was uncertain, but Patton held up his wand anyway. “ _Wingardium leviosa_!”

The trunk hovered for a moment before falling to the ground, sending Agatha darting up onto Logan’s shoulder.

Frowning, Patton pointed his wand at the trunk again, focusing harder on what he wanted to happen. “ _Wingardium leviosa_!”

A loud bang sounded as the trunk slammed into the ceiling of the compartment. Redness rushed to Patton’s cheeks as he lowered it slightly, guiding it to the rack above them.

“Slightly overdone, but you did manage to levitate it.” A laugh left Logan’s mouth, but he looked mildly impressed.

Agatha crawled across Logan’s shoulder. With lightning speed, he had her in his lap. “Patton, did you take your potion?”

“You remembered?” Patton couldn’t help the squeal that fell from his mouth. He flung his arms wide, ready to hug Logan, but froze. His arms hovered in the air. “Is it okay if I hug you?”

“If you must.”

The air was knocked out of Logan’s lungs as Patton pulled him into a tight hug.

Once released, Logan straightened his robes. “I am slightly offended that you thought I wouldn’t remember something so important. We are friends after all. At least, I am friends with you and Virgil. Roman is - well at this point he’s more of an acquaintance. A friend of a friend.”

“You just have to get to know him!” Patton held his arms out, allowing Agatha to jump into them. She snuggled up to him immediately, her purr drowning out the rumbling of the train.

Logan looked on, unable to tear his eyes away from how adorable the scene was.

“I love her.” Patton whispered, petting her gently.

It was the quietest Logan had ever heard him.

“She appears to like you as well.” With a free lap, Logan was able to return to his book. “Do you know if Virgil or Roman will be joining us? I would like to gauge the noise level before I get too far into this.”

Patton frowned. He’d hoped that Virgil and Roman would come down here on their own. Maybe they didn’t realize that Patton wanted to sit with them all?

“I’m not sure. But I’m going to go look for them and see! I’ll be right back.” Patton got up and slid the door open. Agatha protested when he tried to put her down. “Lo -”

“You may take her with you if you wish.”

“Thanks Logan!”

Agatha snuggled further into his arms, purring like a motorboat. Patton rubbed his face into her fur, looking in each compartment as he walked down the corridor. He kept his eyes peeled for his roommate or his Gryffindor pal.

Boisterous laughter poured out of one of the compartments up ahead. Patton looked inside, finding six Gryffindors. Roman sat in the middle, a bright smile on his face. When he spotted Patton, he held up a finger and started to wiggle out of the group.

Slipping into the corridor, he reached out and gently stroked Agatha. “What’s up, cat and the Pat?”

Patton let out a giggle at the rhyme. “I was wondering if you were going to come sit with us.”

Roman hesitated. “Who’s us?”

“Me, Logan, and possibly Virgil.”

“I think I saw Dr. Thunder sitting with his brothers at the front of the train.” A hand knocked on the glass. A redhead made a ‘hurry up’ gesture. “I - I think I’m going to stay here. My trunk is already put away and everything.”

“Oh.” Patton did his best to not let his shoulders deflate. “That’s okay! I’ll leave you to your friends then, and go find Virgil.”

“See you.”

“B-”

The door slid shut with a click. Roman turned his back on Patton and crawled over his friends, sliding back into his spot.

Agatha shifted, licking Patton’s fingers. He gave her a sad smile. “Let’s go find Virgil.”

They walked further down the hall, finding Virgil in the second compartment. His oldest brother was next to him, with Devin was sitting across. The latter had a smirk on his face that only grew when he spotted Patton.

Before he could move, the oldest brother had gotten up and opened the door. “Come on in. Patton, right? Virgil has only said good things about you.”

Patton grinned, faltering when he saw the tentativeness in Virgil’s eyes.

“I’d shake your hand, but it appears to be occupied.” The brother’s voice had Patton redirecting his focus. “I’m Preston Night. We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting.”

“You’re Virgil’s oldest brother, right? The one who pranks?” Preston nodded at Patton’s statement, looking surprised when Patton leaned around him. “And you’re Devin. I hope we can get along.”

“Yeah, as if that would happen.” Devin scoffed.

Preston pushed his hair back. “Devin. He’s a pureblood, just like us.”

“I don’t care. He’s not in Slytherin.”

“Neither is Virgil.”

“ _Exactly_.” Devin shot a look at Patton before choosing to look out the window instead.

Patton could tell he was still listening.

“Pat?” Virgil squeaked, getting his attention. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see you, but…what are you doing here?”

“I came to see if you’d sit with us.” Agatha let out a loud meow, making three of them laugh.

“Who - who exactly is us?” Virgil’s eyes darted to Devin and back.

“Me and Logan.”

“Logan and me.” Virgil corrected automatically. “I’m going to stay here…with my brothers. But I’ll see you in our room, okay?”

Patton forced a smile onto his face. He could tell by the guilt in Virgil’s eyes that it wasn’t believable. “Okay. See you!”

Tears burned in the corners of his eyes as he made his way back to his compartment. If he hadn’t taken his potion, he’d be able to blame it on allergies. He blinked harshly, trying to rid himself of the tears before he re-entered the compartment.

Hearing Patton enter once more, Logan looked up from his book. “Seeing as how you’re alone, I suppose it’ll be just the two of us?”

“Three.” Patton said, gently putting Agatha down on the bench seat before sliding in next to her. She curled up in a ball, her back against his leg. Patton began to gently stroke her fur, struggling to think of a conversation topic. “Um…how was your Christmas, Logan? Or do you celebrate something else?”

“My family celebrates Christmas. And it was satisfactory.” His nose was buried in his book once more. “I received next year’s books from my parents so that I can get a head start. Remy gave me a new jacket. He said that I need to dress more casually. Honestly, it’s more his style than mine and it’s big enough that it would fit him, so I question if it was really a gift for me after all.”

Patton frowned. “I like the way you dress.”

Logan flipped a page. “As do I. So for now, the jacket will stay in my closet until Remy inevitably asks to borrow it.”

“Did  _you_ get anything for Christmas?” Patton asked as he scratched under Agatha’s chin. She began play-biting his fingers, making him jump.

Logan glanced up, a tiny smile on his face. “Actually, she did. I’m planning on continuing my weekly updates to my parents, so I thought it would be wise to get her a coat. She is quite small. I don’t want her to freeze in the cold.”

Patton let out a cooing sound. “I bet you look adorable in your coat, don’t you girl?”

The two chatted for a while before Logan slowly began to respond less and less. Patton stopped talking. He stroked Agatha, getting lost in his thoughts.

He would have to try harder to get Roman and Virgil to join them when they headed home for the year. It would be so much fun to sit together before summer break.

With Virgil’s family situation, it was unlikely that he’d be able to visit. And based on Roman’s reaction, he probably didn’t want to.

Maybe Logan would.

Pinks and oranges started to fill the sky as they reached the castle. Patton couldn’t help but gasp as they got off the train.

“Have you not seen the castle at sunset before?” Logan adjusted his glasses. “It’s much more breathtaking when the stars come out.”

“That sounds so pretty!”

“It is.” Logan rubbed the back of his neck. “Perhaps we could stargaze sometime. As…practice. For our Astronomy homework.”

Patton nodded eagerly. “That sounds great!”

The two stopped at the stairs. Logan moved to the right and Patton to the left.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Logan!”

Patton bounded down the stairs, giddy from Logan’s offer.

His mood drastically changed when he saw his roommate sitting on his bed, hood pulled over his head and arms wrapped around his knees.

Patton held his arms open in a silent question.

Virgil’s face crumpled as he launched himself into Patton’s arms. He buried his face into Patton’s chest, and Patton could feel his t-shirt become wet with tears.

He half-dragged Virgil to his bed, putting him down and letting go only to draw the curtains. Once he laid down, Virgil latched onto him once more. Fat tears slid down his cheeks, but he made no noise.

It broke Patton’s heart.

“I’ve got you.” Patton whispered, rubbing Virgil’s back. “You’re safe now.”

It took the better part of an hour, but eventually Virgil’s tears stopped and his breathing evened out. Patton gently moved Virgil’s arms, earning a whine.

“I’m just going to get something to help you sleep. I’ll be back in less than thirty seconds. Promise.”

When Patton appeared out of the curtains, their other roommates all gave him the same concerned look. He waved them off, mouthing ‘I’ve got it’. They looked sceptical, but didn’t say a word.

Patton popped open Virgil’s trunk and lifted the lid. The bottle of sleeping potion was sitting on top of a rectangular package wrapped in black cloth. He grabbed the bottle and closed the lid before heading back to his bed.

“Here, drink some. It’ll help.”

Virgil reached for the bottle and did as Patton asked. When he handed it back, Patton put it on his bedside table.

“Do you want to sleep here or in your own bed?”

“I - I’d like to sleep here, but if you don’t want me to…I can sleep alone.” Virgil’s voice wavered.

Patton shook his head. “Virge, you can sleep here. It’s always okay.”

“Are you sure?”

Pulling the covers back, he nodded. They slipped under the blankets, Virgil cuddling up to him immediately.

The two of them fell into an easy sleep.


End file.
